Siang Hao Sou, 86, of Leesburg, died at 8:11 a.m. Dec. 19, 2008, in Hospice Home of Northeast Indiana, Fort Wayne, following extended illnesses.
She was born Oct. 20, 1922, in Haiphon, Vietnam, to Chinese parents, Tcheng Vun Guoy and Quach Gum Chow. On Jan. 5, 1941, in Haiphong, she married Neng Ping Sou, who died in 1985.
She was a homemaker and owned and operated a pasta factory for several years. The family lived in Hanoi and then Haiphong in North Vietnam before moving to Da Nang in South Vietnam in 1954 to flee the communist take-over in the North. About four years later, the family moved to the country of Laos. In 1965, their oldest son came to the U.S. and later the rest of the family joined him here. She and her husband immigrated to the Kosciusko County area in 1974. She also lived in Plymouth as well as New York and Texas at various times, living with her daughters and caring for her grandchildren as they grew up. She became a U.S. citizen in 1998.
She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, known to all as "Ama." Two of her greatest joys were spending time with her family and cooking them delicious Chinese food. Having lived in three countries, she fluently spoke five languages and dialects.
Surviving are two brothers, Tcheng Chi Sac and Tcheng Chi Hon, both of Vietnam; two sons, Tsi (and spouse Judy) Sou and Nou (and spouse Cindy) Phouleuanghong, all of Warsaw; three daughters: Sai (and spouse Vang) Somsavath, Fort Wayne; Ky (and spouse Yong) Phoun, Leesburg; and Yinh (and spouse Eric) Chen, Plano, Texas; 10 grandchildren: Ellen (and spouse Khampoun) Kenchanh, Lee (and spouse Kanitha) Somsavath and Janelle (and spouse Shane) Roberts, all of Fort Wayne; Janis (and spouse Mark) Lam, San Jose, Calif.; Connie (and spouse Leo) Selcis, Atlanta, Ga.; Katy Phoun (and Scott Bachmann) and Michael Chen, all of Chicago, Ill.; Eric Phoun, New York, N.Y.; Jennifer (and spouse Alex) Martinez, Claypool; and Cathy Chen (and Florian Seifert), Plano, Texas; eight great-grandchildren: Brandon and Alexa Kenchanh; Kaylene and Collin Lam; Jayden and Sophie Somsavath; Lexi Martinez; and Nicholas Selcis. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Trinh Tu Chan and Trinh Tu Dinh.
Services will be at noon Saturday at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
Calling is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the funeral home.
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Condolences may be sent to mchattonsadlerfuneralchapels.com
