Ode to my Great Great Great Grand Father

My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!

I stand before him, silent, in respect and awe.
His genes embedded in every cell of mine,
We are bonded though the course of time.
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
I sit beside him, sunlight streaming through the trees.
I sense inner warmth and joy sublime:
Habitat Heritage History entwine.
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
The white stakes declare a restless future:
His eyeless sockets shedding copious tears-
That eight lane highway: unspoken fears!
My Great Great Great Grand Father's Tomb!
"Could you not beg them to let us rest in peace?"
His silenced tongue in eloquence loudly says :
His bony hands grasp me in one last fond embrace.


THE SAGE OF SINGAPORE [The Straits Times 22 October 1948 Page 4 ]
Straits Times interview by Roy Ferroa.
Of his 80 years of living, Dr.Lim says that his happiest memories are those of his
school days, in particular of his old headmaster Mr Hullet.
The thing that makes me ever -mindful of dear Mr. Hullett is his word of advice given
to me when I left school and was on my way to study in England.
Mr Hullett said: You are a Chinese going to the West.
Remember to respect yourself and do right. Never mind what other people, the rich and
inuential, may think of you. As long as you do right and remain right you will always
be happy.
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Page 7
Mr. Hullet also told me I advise you to keep a Bible by your side and read it whenever
you have the time. The Bible is the basis of the English language.
This, Dr. Lim explained was the advice given him when he was still making headway
with English literature and grammar.
Today 65 years after those words were uttered by his teacher, the pupil follows their
precept. His Bible, slightly tattered and well worn, is in his hands when he walks about
in his garden.
The Bible has 66 books and one of them is written by a doctor. It is from the book
written by Dr. Luke that I have chosen a passage to be read at my funeral. All of you are
invited to my funereal. I don't have the date yet and I hope it doesn't happen soon.
But just as a preview, let me give you glimpse.In Chapter 16 verse 19-31 of Luke's book,
we read of a parable told by Jesus of an unnamed rich man who was enjoying a life of
luxury and a poor man named Lazarus who was longing to eat the scraps of food that fell
from the rich man's table.
Lazarus dies and is bought by angels up to heaven.
Lazarus has a relationship with God that began while on earth, and this continues on in
heaven.
The rich man, however, failed to share of his abundance while on earth thus
demonstrating his lack of relationship with God The Rich man dies and is brought to a
place of eternal torment:
For the rest of the story you will have to attend my funeral, but one take home message is
this: We need to be accountable for the gifts that we are given from above, and we need
an ongoing relationship with the Giver.

Lim Su Min Ancestry Run 21st April 2012 Notes V7.0

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Page 1
Highlights:
Tan Kim Ching () (1829 -1892. ) Tan Tock Sengs eldest son. Recommended
Anna Leonowens, as teacher for children of King Mongkut of Siam ( King Rama IV).
Buried in Changi, transferred to Bukit Brown (1940). One of Singapores earliest
diplomats and much respected in the Siam court.
Tan Boo Liat, (1875-1934) built his home Golden Bell Mansion, 10 Pender Road on
Mount Faber, naming it after his grandfather. He was a strong supporter of Dr. Sun Yat-
sen and member of the Singapore T'ung Meng Hui along with Lim Boon Keng. In 1920
he was awarded the title Phra Anukul Sayamkich by the Siam court. Note Kuo-Ming-
Tan rays on his tomb.
Tan Boo Liats daughter Polly was the template for Emily of Emerald Hill, written by my
sister Stella Kon ( ee Lim). To know that Polly was the niece who eventually married her
aunts husband 12 years her senior, when the aunt passed away is to understand the
complex forces at play in creating Emily

Polly Tan (my Grandmother) is pictured here, aged 10 years. Lady with right arm on
armrest is Mdm Yeo Buay Neo, my Great Grand Mother (Mrs Seow Chye Watt), mother
of Seow Poh Leng.
Polly at the piano while her husband Seow Poh Leng serenades. An alumnus of the
Anglo Chinese School, he instituted a medal Seow Poh Leng Gold Medal in 1936 to be
awarded to the top ACS boy at the Senior Cambridge/GCE O Level Examinations.

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Page 5
Lim Quins: Mr & Mrs Lim Mah Peng
Mr & Mrs Lim Tean Gow
Md Wong Tuan Keng (The rst Mrs Lim Boon Keng)
Lim Boon Keng (GGF) with Stella (my sister) and
Mrs Lim, Grace Yin Pek Ha (GGM) with me on her lap.
Impetus for studying medicine was death of father Lim Thean Gow from blood
poisoning after razor cut: Eleven doctors resulting from this fatal cut!
Dr Lim Boon Keng
Dr Robert Kho Seng Lim, Dr Lim Peng Thiam
Dr Lim Kok Ann, Dr Lim Kok Kian, Dr Lim Kok Lian
Dr Suzanne Low, Dr Lim Su Min, Dr Lim Su Chong
Dr Lim Min Yu, Dr Mark Kon
Lim Boon Keng: Family of Doctors
COLOR CODE
Doctor
John Francis Walter Peng
Thiam
Robert
Lim
Boon
Keng
Peng
Han
Albert
Kok Ann
Min Yu
Su Min Suzanne
Low
Kok Kian Kok Lian
Eunice
EeJin
Su
Chong
Mark Kon
Stella
Sing Po
Kon nee
Lim
TAN- SEOW- LIM Family Connection scattered over various blocks
in Bukit Brown.
The tomb stops include :
Tan Kim Ching, GGGGF (Great Great Great Great Grand Father)
(neighbour to Cheang Hong Lim )
Yeo Buay Neo (Mrs Seow Watt Chye) GGM
Tan Boo Liat GGF
Mr & Mrs Lim Mah Peng GGGGF/M
Mr & Mrs Lim Thean Geow GGGF/M
Page 6
Page 3
TAN
Tock Seng
CHEANG
Hong Lim
Md
KHOO
LIM
Mah
Peng
Md
CHUA
TAN Kim
Ching
TAN
Swee
Lim
TAN Teck
Guan
Md
SU
LIM
Thean
Gow
TAN
Woon Neo
aka Mrs
CHOA
TAN
Soon
Toh
Mdm
WONG
TAN
Bin
Cheng
TAN
Wi
Yan
LIM
Boon
Keng
TAN
Boo
Liat
SEOW
Chye
Watt
Md YEO
Buay Neo
Walter
Kho
Leng
LIM
SEOW
Poh
Leng
Polly
TAN
Albert
Kok Ann
LIM
Rosie
SEOW
LIM
Su Min
Stella
KON
nee LIM