Journey to America:

Bo Do Hong

A Chinese merchant came to Red Bluff, California by stage originally believed in 1888. He leased a little store at 838 Rio Street and opened a Chinese Medical herb shop. By today’s standards, this is the equivalent to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for natural healing. Both the merchant and the store were known as Bo Do Hong, but this was not his real name because Bo Do Hong actually means “Hall of the Protector of Health” and the reason for selecting this name is obvious. He was born in 1837 and had immigrated to the United States in 1865 as an educated Doctor. In Ruth Hitchcock’s research, it indicated he changed his real surname from Chew “for legal reasons”. Dr. Bo Do Hong’s store was successful from the start, perhaps this could be because he had been to Red Bluff before the 1870’s census when he resided with Ah Noo & Ting family. There were about 2,000 Chinese in the area at that time. He expanded the store to include Chinese groceries, general merchandise, a banking business, and a correspondence service. The kitchen was in the rear over looking the Sacramento River, it had a huge wooden stove and gigantic Iron Woks. He had employed a full-time cook who made meals for anybody at any time of the day or night. “One could go into Bo Do Hong and purchase herbs for his immediate ailment, buy the week’s groceries, send money to the old country, play a few games of ‘pai gow’ and even get drunk on ‘ng gah pei’ providing he would not become a public nuisance.” This was written by Grace Yuen Gan in an article titled “Tales of Chew Yuen” for the Red Bluff Daily News in 1956. To keep the business running, most goods had to be shipped from China by Steamboat in cargo. Sometimes Bo Do Hong and his family would travel to China for a year. Compassion being deeply rooted in the Chew family, Dr. Bo Do Hong and his fellow Chinese “dignitaries” shared the responsibility of sponsoring big Chinese New Year festivities on High (Rio) Street.

To be inclusive, ever year just before Chinese New Year on December 29th, Bo Do Hong started a long standing tradition of a Chinese American Annual Banquet at the Chinese Masonic Lodge. At first the banquet was just some American friends and family, but as his friendships grew and his business grew it became quite the annual attraction. Bo Do Hong’s annual banquets were comprised of Chinese and American dishes merging the two cultures together. He would decorate the banquet hall just the same and festivities began with him greeting and bidding guest farewell at the door. Times were hard due to prejudice, Bo Do Hong was arrested for practicing medicine and he would challenge the fine all the way to the Supreme Court. During the 1892 Geary Act and the McCreary Amendment, Chinese in Red Bluff were fearful because they were required to have a Certificate of Residence with a photograph or face being deported, the only exemption was "Merchant” status like Bo Do Hong. In 1900, his nephew Wong Kim Chee would be tragically killed by the Tong’s in the bay area and he would successfully seek justice through the courts. In the following year of 1901, he had to go to court to explain why his patient Wong Sing died (from Castella, CA) and he successfully proved his case. Somehow, he always persevered with every obstacle. He would become more creative by advertising on street corners, newspapers, etc. There was one time, when the Assistant Postmasters pet bear was loose and he shot the pet bear in his backyard after it scared his family. In 1907, it was time for Dr. Bo Do Hong to arrange a marriage for his nephew Chew Yuen. This would be the first Chinese American wedding in the Chew family. Since this deviated from ancient Chinese traditions, Mrs. J.A. Owen stepped in and coordinated a beautifully orchestrated day at her daughter, Letitia Francis Owen’s home with Presbyterian, Reverend James Henry Sharp officiating the Americanized wedding. Forever changing the Chew family weddings for the generations that followed. As a man of faith, Bo Do Hong funded the construction of a Christian Chapel in Fushicun (Fow Shek, Fau Sek, or Fushi or Floating Stone) village, Guangdong Province 台山縣 浮石村. Today, the Chew families historic village is well known in China as the ancient "Zhao Song Royal Village" built in the “thirteenth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1380)” and has a strong legacy in culture, education, and it is also the Hometown of Chinese Folk Art (PiaoSe 飘色) by the Ministry of Culture. 浮石村 Fushicun Village created three of China’s firsts in the history of culture and education. More importantly, China’s first grammar book and dictionary were published here.

Two other large Chinese-American families had settled in Red Bluff during the early days – the Wong Foey and Frank On families.

Chew Yuen

In 1899 Bo Do Hong asked his foster son, Chew Yuen (You Yen Bo Do Hong or Too You Fook or Too Den Yen) (1870-1947), to come and help with the business. Yuen had been running the family Kwong Cheung Youn herb shop in San Francisco. Ten years after arriving in Red Bluff, foster dad Bo Do Hong died at the age of 72 years old while visiting China (Volume XXIV, Number 309, 17 October 1909). Like the majority of Chinese in America, Bo Do Hong and his entire family would have their remains shipped by steamboat to mainland China for a sacred ceremonial burial in the ancestral plot.

With great pride, his nephew Chew Yuen took over the Red Bluff shop following in Bo Do Hong’s footsteps. However, while operating the herb shop Chew Yuen would be arrested several times for practicing Chinese medicine which was illegal because he was technically an “unlicensed Practitioner” but family attorney W.A. Fish would defend him each time in court. Dr. Chew Yuen eventually became one of the towns leading citizens. The Red Bluff Daily Newspaper even they wrote “Dr. Chew Yuen is a Christian gentlemen and a man of splendid character and integrity”.

All of his children from his second wife became Yuen’s despite the fact that their fathers surname was actually Chew by Chinese custom. This common error resulted in confusion regarding Chinese names and was because most people did not realize that the Chinese put the last name first. The children attended Oak Street School.

He had a total of eleven children.

Chew Suey Lum (Chew You)

It is now known with certainty Chew Suey Lum (Chew You or Chew Siu Lim) one of five brothers born on September 23, 1868 left Fou Shek Village in Toisan District, Guangdong Province, China in 1881 to visit the United States of America with his uncle. He was only 13 years old. According to Archive records, he was the son of Chew Hing Quong and Shung Shee. In Census records, Chew You had immigrated to the United States in 1883 and permanently moved to Pasadena in 1886 to work for prominent Doctor Nathan Dalrymple.  His USA Certified Residences #38165 verifies he had been living in the United States before the Passage of the Provisions of the Act of May 5, 1892. The National Archives Catalog (Identifier: 176229082), A.W. Francisco, Collector of Customs, in Los Angeles California interviewed Chew You in 1897 before he embarked on his 3rd visit to China. During his interview he confirms that he belongs to the Methodist Mission. Furthermore, Chew You also is one of the largest investors and owners of Dun Sow Hong Co, an herbal store established in 1894 located on 306 Marchessault Street, Los Angeles CA which was later purchased by Walter SooHoo. Other investors of Dun Sow Hong Company: Chew Pack Chin $1200, Fan Wing $600, Chew Hong $600, Chew Beng $600, Chew Quan $600, Chew Shun Qot $600, Chew Youen $600, Len Non $600, Lem Yan $600, Fan Sam $600, Lim Lip Hing $600, Lim Sim $600.

When he was 26 years old, he made application for this certificate on February 1894 and confirmed “he was at that time lawfully entitled to remain in the United States”. During his visit to China on August 1, 1901, Chew You confirms that he is also the business investor and part owner in Kwong Cheung Youn (previously Quong Sun Yen or Quong Chong Yuen & Company) located at 906 Dupoint Street, San Francisco by contributing $500 with his cousin Chew Yuen. Often during the trips to China, the Chew’s would use their savings to buy goods for the store and import it into the U.S. Not much else is known about his particulars regarding his various journeys by ship to China from the United States. This was common to the travelers of that era, usually it took several months and from that manuscript it shows he came originally as a laborer, cook, even though he had investment businesses. It was not until 1903 that he would change his status to a Merchant, essentially when he became part owner of the Bo Do Hong Company together with Wong Jew and other partners.

Through letters it is known that Chew Suey Lim had many merchant friends including:

• L.M. Douglas, owner of Norwood Hotel located at 607-609 West Pico, Los Angeles, CA

• The Morning Bell Theatrical Society located at 840 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA

• Chew Kim & Co. in Los Angeles, CA

• Chinese National Welfare Society in America

• Kuo Min Tang located at 844 Rio Street, Red Bluff, CA

• Sun Kwong Hop Co. located at No. 281 Des Voeux Road, Hong Kong, China

• Jons Kong & Co. located at Kioenton Rm, Kumsoo, China

• Far East Trading Co.

During his time living in Pasadena, CA, Chew Suey Lim was able to find work as a cook at the Lake Arrowhead Hotel. He worked hard, saved his money, and was able to return to China to see his wife and son. After a few months in China before his money would run out, he would return to America to earn and save again. Eventually, he would save enough to bring his family to the New World. He returned to his former job at Lake Arrowhead.

In 1903, Chew You came to Red Bluff and joined his family Bo Do Hong and uncle Chew Yuen with the businesses. Since he had been a cook in Pasadena, his first job was at the Home Restaurant located at 619 Walnut Street, across from the Depot. Mr. Yee had bought the business from C.S. Slater in 1903 and Chew would worked for Yee Sam Yuen for four years before taking over the restaurant with Chew Yuen.

On February 16, 1915, a determined Mrs. J.A. Owen from 1139 Washington Street in Red Bluff, CA was able to obtain a response from the U.S. Department of Labor, Immigration Services, Office of Inspector in Charge, Port of Sacramento, CA which stated:

“Dear Madam:

Your letter making inquiries concerning the change of firm name in the case of Chew You has been received. In reply beg to advise that the only requirement is that the applicant Chew You should keep his mercantile status inviolate. It will not be necessary for him to return before the change in firm name and partnership list is made, provided his name is carried on the list as a member and he resume his mercantile occupation upon his return.

- Immigration Inspector”

In 1916, Chew Suey Lim was able to bring his wife, Ng Shee, who was pregnant with her second child and his seventeen year old biological son Chew Pack Lan (Bock Len, AKA Chew You or Dick Chew) and foster son Chew Pack Quoy (Bock Quee or Ned Chew) to America. The family entered the land of opportunity through San Francisco but not without support from the entire community of Red Bluff including the Mayor. Ng Shee was to spend almost a month at Angel Island before permission was granted to join the rest of her family. Ng Shee, Chew You, Ned Chew and Dick Chew would be subject to interrogation at the Angel Island incarceration center. When word reached Red Bluff that the Chew family was detained at Angel Island, quickly W.A. Fish, the family attorney wrote several letters in support of their release. Mrs. Leticia F. Owens even testified as a sworn witness verifying the Chew You family “was an outstanding citizen” and advising that she was a teacher for the Chinese children. When Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Owen’s received a response that the Chew family still had not been released, the entire community of 20 notable families in Red Bluff quickly rallied to petition the Department of Labor to release the Chew family including the following:

• Mayor - W. L. Bransford

• Cone and Kimball Company - Gorham K. King

• Bank of Tehama County - Elle Gans

• Red Bluff National Bank - President, T. H. Ramsey

• Postmaster - E. B. Warmot

• Sentinel Newspaper - D.D. Dodson

• Script of Schools - Mamis B. Lang

• Board of Supervisors for Tehama County

• Chairman of the Board of Supervisor for Tehama County - WH Samson

• Supervisor - Honorable A. Schafer

• Supervisor 2nd District - Honorable G.W. Vestal

• Supervisor 3rd District - Honorable H.O. Kauffman

• Supervisor 4th District - Honorable A. G. Peake

• Deputy County Clerk - Carl Nickel

• Deputy County Clerk - Frank Jay

• County Clerk - H. Q. Kuhn

• County Assessor- Louis Winter

• Hotel Imperial - A.L. Conard

• Dr. J.A. Owens - 1139 Washington Street, Red Bluff CA

• W.A. Fish Attorney at Law

• A.W. Nooef - Merchant

• R.M. Novelle - Merchant

• G.G. Wrikris - Merchant

• Geo B Chauiplice - Insurance Agent

Dr. Chew Yuen (an herbalist) (Ake Foon, Too You Fook or Too Yuen), was the sponsor for the family to immigrate to the US. After settling in Red Bluff, only the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chew You kept the “You” as a last name, the rest of the family became Chew’s with an English given first name. They resided with the Chew Yuen family in a large brick home.

Ng Shee

According to Archive records, Chew, Yon Shee Ng (Ng Shee Chew) was born May 20, 1881. Life for Ng Shee at the Chew Yuen house was a cycle of cooking, washing, and working from early morning until the late night. She found this exceedingly difficult as she had come from relatively comfortable circumstances in China where girls of her generation were required by tradition to have bounded feet. This was the case for Ng Shee because the bound feet gave the women a higher status. In China, families with sufficient economic means could support any number of servants to do the work in the household and thereby, Ng Shee would be waited on by servants. As she was expecting a child in a new country, it soon came time for delivery of the first Chew to be born in the US. On the day of birth, Ng Shee wearily dragged herself upstairs to give birth. In similar fashion, Ng Shee was to give birth not once but two more times in similar fashion in the subsequent years. Thus, Violet (1917), Nettie (1919) and Joe (1921) Chew were all born at the Chew Yuen Company & residence.

Overall, life in Red Bluff for Ng Shee with her bounded feet at 43 years old was hard. She found herself worrying as if she were the servant in a large two story house. Mrs. Chew You, matriarch of the Chew family would maintain this work ethic until her death passing away in Red Bluff on May 11, 1958 at the age of 76 years old. Her obituary in the Daily News noted that she had been “long prominent in restaurant circles here... She was born in 1881 in China where she married her late husband who died in 1934... Survivors include three sons Ned Chew (Chew Pack Quoy) of San Francisco, Dick (Chew Pack Lan) and Joe Chew of Red Bluff; two daughters, Nettie Chew, Red Bluff and Violet Dong, Ephrata Washington; 20 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.” Red Bluff Daily News circa May 12, 1958.

Dick Chew

When Joe Chew was about two years old, the Chew family moved to the former Bo Do Hong building, about one block away which was a set back from the high bluff of the Sacramento River which flowed along the City parallel to Rio Street at 838 Rio Street. The area around the Chew Yuen brick home and through one whole block on Rio Street was considered to be Chinatown with a number of Chinese families locating there in the early 1900’s. Around this time, Dick Chew on a trip to China married his young bride who was fifteen years of age, Chin See. She was to stay in Fou Shek Village, Toisan while he again returned to the Gold Mountain. Later, when Dick Chew had sufficient funds, he was to journey back to visit two or three times before bringing his wife to America.

In 1922 with Chin See pregnant with her first child, Dick Chew accompanied her to move to America. Soon after, Julia (1923) was born. In the subsequent years the family of Dick Chew and Chin See grew rapidly adding Hazel (1925), Edward (1926), Janie (1930), James (1931), Kenneth (1933), and Christopher (1935).

Now the two generation family lived together in the small house on Rio Street above the Sacramento River. With the expanded family, Chew You also rented the former KuoMinTang located 844 Rio Street (next door) that had a passage way in the rear linking the two houses. One bright memory Nettie has of the family was the traditional observance of Chinese New Year.

“We always cooked some vegetarian dishes and other special dishes for this occasion. We had to eat it early before school or work and the parents would give us red packages of ‘lai see’. Later on the elderly Chinese would give us silver dollars in red packages; so we looked forward to that tradition in those early years” - Nettie Ong

Jane remembers that “Jimmy, Ed and I would go down to the River and look for the Indian Flint and arrowheads”. Ken has early memories of the Sacramento River flooding into the Antelope Valley on the other side of the bridge. After the Shasta Dam was constructed in the late 1930’s the floods stopped.

In late 1934 Suey Lim died at the age of 66 years old most likely from blood poisoning. An accident had occurred some months earlier when a car door had slammed on his fingers while attending a funeral. These fingers never healed and infection continued to fester and spread throughout his body. Many people from all over including Hong Kong, China, San Francisco, Los Angeles had sent money to Suey Lim in an effort to save his life. Although, he had made a special trip to San Francisco to have it treated it did not bring about healing.

The family worked laboriously at the California Café located at 619 Walnut Street next to the railroad tracks seven days a week; those at home on Rio Street raised at least a hundred to two hundred chickens and a few ducks each year. Ken added “that the chickens during the day ranged out into the neighboring open lots and fields and naturally fed on grasshoppers and other insects. They always returned home to roost in an old shed on the property”. There was also a large garden of winter melon, Bok Choy, long Chinese beans, two types of Chinese squash, Gai Choy, and Kohlrabi. Hazel recalls “helping mom in her large garden and running around among the vegetables barefoot watering all the vegetables. I know when our restaurant needed chicken I would go out in the chicken yard and use a long steel rod with a curve on the end of the rod and try to hook the leg of the chicken for my mom to dress”. This efficient hook was made by a neighbor Coon Sok. There was a pond located in the chicken compound and the boys in the family caught catfish from the Sacramento River to place in this pond.

All of the children attended Red Bluff Elementary School walking each day about three-quarters of a mile and Red Bluff Union High School which was about one mile away. Part of the routine of a school day included the children scurrying home at noon to a lunch of rice, meat, and vegetables. Julia’s early memories recalls “when we were in grade school we walked in rain or shine to our first restaurant for lunch and after lunch we would go running back to school to get there in time for class”.

The Chew Restaurants

The house on Rio Street previously had similar houses on each side. The one north of this was at one time a meeting place for the Chinese populous of Red Bluff. In the early 1940’s that same house was rented by the Chew Family.

Chew You and Dick Chew You bought the Home Restaurant in 1921 and renamed it the California Café. Officially on June 17, 1921 the Tehama County Fair Association certified the California Café.  During the Great Depression between late 1920’s and 1930’s, no one was turned away from the California Café hungry. Jane and Ken recollected that while at the California Café, how sensitive their dad was to the needy who did not have cash to pay for their meals. He kept a box filled with names of those who had eaten a meal and said they would pay when they were able too. Some did and many more probably did not.

In 1939, all of the Chinese-American women in Red Bluff gathered together and organized a benefit Tea Banquet to raise money for medical aid to China, which was involved in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). It was held at the Chew Yuen Building on the corner of Rio and Walnut Street. There is a photograph which shows the eleven women involved including: Hazel, Julie, Nettie, and Violet Chew plus four Yuens, two Foeys, and Mabel On.  Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the U.S. educated wife of the Nationalist Chinese President and honorary chair of the American Bureau for Medical Aid to China, had encourage such local efforts.

In 1947, Nettie, Joe and Ng Shee took their savings from the pinball machine at the California Café for a down payment on a larger property located at 860 Main Street and Hickory, which would become popular restaurant Ming Terrace. By 1949, the Chew family opened the Ming Terrace Restaurant (that became the Peking restaurant, Kin Sing Restaurant, and today is the Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant) on Main Street. The Red Bluff Daily News noted that “dishes of ancient China as well as American dishes will be served in a modern setting to progressive Red Bluff”. After three months of remodeling and redecorating, Dick, Joe and Ed Chew “opened their doors at 860 Main Street, and another business joined the commercial ranks… The restaurant has paneled booths with chrome finish on tables and chairs, special embroidered painting imported from China and Ming trees made by Chinese craftsman in San Francisco… Joe Chew, a junior at Chico State College and his nephew Ed, grew up in Red Bluff. His brother Dick operates the California Café.” Red Bluff Daily News circa August 30, 1949.

Joe and Nettie recalled that a friend, Harry On from Yreka, helped them buy a cash registered and later a car. Nettie and Julia reminisce fondly that at the grand opening of Ming Terrace they wore their colorful Chinese “cheongsam” dresses to greet and welcome the customers to the new restaurant.  With a new and larger business to develop, all members of the family worked long hours daily and then only had to climb upstairs from the restaurant to enter their living and sleeping quarters. Business grew strong into the 1950s through the 1970’s.

A memorable occasion took placed on November 16, 1954 when Dick passed his naturalization test and received his U.S. citizenship status. This momentous time was celebrated when Grace Yuen (wife of Owen Yuen) baked and decorated a large cake to share with the family. Jane recalls sitting on a stool in the corner of the kitchen helping her dad with some of the naturalization or citizenship vocabulary and reciting the preamble.

Soon after graduating from high school, it came time for each of the Chew boys in the family to attend California State University, Chico which is some forty miles away. However, after completing high school, the girls in the family were not given the same opportunity or encouragement to go on to higher education and they were soon pressed into service at the restaurant or were able to take jobs elsewhere.

All of the Chew boys graduated from Chico State: Joe (1951) graduated in Business and Accounting; Jim (1954) earned a degree in Biology; Ken (1955) also with a degree in Biology, and Chris (1958) received a degree in Business. Thus, the young men moved onto enter their professional world or to graduate school.

The Chew family continued to work at the Ming Terrace achieving a notable place in the business life of Red Bluff. In November 1966, Chin See was diagnosed with cancer which had metastasized, most likely the cancer had begun in the pancreas. The doctor then predicted that she would only have four to five months to live and she passed from this life by February 1967. On Chin See’s death bed, she told Joe “get out of the restaurant business, it’ll kill you” and Joe took this to heart deeply never forgetting her words of wisdom.

In the Spring of 1971, Dick worked all day at the restaurant, went upstairs to rest because he wasn’t feeling well, boiled some Kampuchea tea, laid down on the davenport and passed on quietly in his sleep.

Joe, Ed, and Julia continued to work at the restaurant until 1973 when the Ming Terrace was sold to another Chinese family. The decision to sell the restaurant was difficult for the family because they would no longer be together all the time but with the construction of the I5 freeway, the Chew family decided this would be the best decision for everyone. This painful decision proved to be true and paid in dividends as each family member lived prosperously and a long life.

Julia and Edward moved to Sacramento and eventually to Santa Rosa. Edward died of heart failure in April 1994 after having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several months earlier.

Remarkable Life of Joe Chew:

On December 23, 1921 the local Doctor, Owen recorded on a notepad in both English and Chinese, the remarkable Joe You Chew’s birth on the second floor of the Chew Yuen Co. No. 202. This building still stands today.

He was a beautiful sweet boy. Words cannot express what a wonderful person he was or the magnitude of how sweet, funny, kind, and gentle he is. And, as Joe grew older, he attended Red Bluff Public School where he was not the most studious student; in fact Joe struggled with his grades particularly in arithmetic, drawing, reading and writing. But Joe worked smarter not harder and he had a persistent goal of finishing school. 

When Joe was in fourth grade he wrote “A Fairy Flower”:

Once long ago there was a fairy flower. This fairy flower could change herself into anything. One day a man was trying to pick this flower and she changed herself into some grass. When the man went away she changed herself again into a flower. The next day the man came again. Again the fairy flower changed into some grass. Then the man knew it was a fairy flower and went away.

Ng Shee was a very proud mom, she saved every single report card, newspaper clipping, certificate and award that Joe received. It is customary for Chinese family’s to send their children to Chinese school and since Red Bluff did not have one, the family decided to bring in a private teacher from San Francisco to teach the children. In Chinese School, older sister Violet shined with high 95%-100% but Joe struggled and it just wasn’t his cup of tea but it was okay because he was such a good boy. When Joe was 9 years old, he began to help his mom in the kitchen at the restaurant. In 1933, the California State Automobile Associated awarded Joe with 1st place in the Tehama County Flower Show. But, Joe made his mother even prouder when he attended Red Bluff Union High School and joined both the Basketball and Tennis team winning game after game becoming a star athlete. Moreover, in the evenings Joe would help his family operate the family restaurant where he was mostly tasked with bookkeeping.  When he graduated from Red Bluff Union High School in June 6, 1941, Joe’s family had saved enough money for him to attend the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) as an Engineering major. The Chew family savings was enough to pay for his expenses including sharing a room on the corner of Shattuck, at 2116 Channing Way, where his granddaughter would later live 73 years later. Joe lived in a multi-family house with several dwellings rented out to other Asian male students. Joe said he selected UCB because “that’s where the Chinese boys went to school”. Like many people, Joe’s landlord, Mr. Carroll Soo Hoo, became quite fond of his company and enjoyed teaching him the art of investing particularly, the stock market and real estate. Joe, an avid animal lover, especially enjoyed Mr. Soo Hoo’s ‘zoo’ of exotic animals. On the weekends, Joe would take the train from UCB to Red Bluff, CA where there was a depot stopped right in front of the California Café and Joe helped his brother Dick with the restaurant any chance he got.  Joe would only attended UCB for one year because shortly thereafter, he was drafted into the 1908th Army Service Unit, Camp Beale, California.

During World War II, seven young men from Chinese American families in Red Bluff were either enlisted or drafted to serve their country: Fish Yuen, Cahoone Yuen, Louis On, Danny On, Sammie Foey, Herbert Foey, Henry Chin and Joe Chew. When Joe first join the Army, he was a Typist Clerk but because of Joe’s business and accounting experience at the family restaurant it earned him a position into the U.S. Army’s Finance Department, mostly at Camp Beale.  Fish Yuen was sent to the Army’s language school to learn Mandarin and became an interpreter. Danny On became a parachute jumper and saw duty with 101st Air Borne in Europe, where he was wounded in the Battle of the Buldge and decorated. Henry Chin became a mechanic in the U.S. Army. Henry Foey and Stanford Yuen would serve in the US Army for the Korea war. Being a very charismatic and funny guy, he made a lot of lifelong friends in the service. Joe remained friends with everyone he met until their deaths.

After the war, Joe returned to college but transferred to California State University, Chico because it was closer to Red Bluff and he could help with both restaurants, the Ming Terrace and the California Cafe. However, Joe realized that he really wasn’t very good at science, physics or engineering and decided that he would change his major while attending CSU Chico.  By 1950, Joe had made the Chico State Varsity Tennis team and like always, he won game after game becoming a star athlete.  

By June 8, 1951, Joe graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Accounting and eventually earning his CPA as a Tax Accountant. After graduation he returned home to help operate his family’s restaurant, the California Cafe and Ming Terrace. During this short time, he maintained the business records, balanced the books, typed menus, and prepared payroll. Paying everyone equally the same.

After a long life as a bachelor and several dates, Joe found someone to settle down with. Since Joe was tall he was considered quite the suitor! And the story goes, in 1965, Joe Chew married Helen Mable Yee, originally from Phoenix. They had met at a wedding in Sacramento, where Helen had been residing and working for several years at the State Printing Office. Initially, they went on one date but four years later, Joe decided to return and knocked on Helen’s door to ask her out again. Luck would have it, she was still single. Joe proposed in his car and offered to Helen to choose her own engagement ring; in style, Helen chose a modest blue diamond. After marriage, Helen transferred her job and worked as a secretary for the Northern District Office, California Department of Water Resources, in Red Bluff until she retired ~ 30 years later. Unlike the Chew family, Helen’s family immigrated through Angel Island as a ‘paper family’. Her mother Mah Shee had listed her biological father was a U.S. citizen but this was not exactly true. Helen’s family would move to Massachusetts to open a laundry business and then permanently moved to Phoenix, AZ opening the Toy Sleung Grocery store. Unfortunately, life in Phoenix was painful and due to racism, they became one of the few businesses to sell groceries to the Native Americans. Helen had humble beginnings and this sentiment was shared by Joe. They were both very financially prudent all of their lives and like Joe’s sisters, it was Helen’s dream to have a college degree. Helen was smart, she attended UCLA for a short period of time although it is unknown why she wasn’t able to finish school. Living in Red Bluff, Helen witness the laborious hours the Restaurant required from Joe. She was supportive of his decision to sell the restaurant because she knew it was hard and an emotional one.

In 1973, the Chew family sold the Ming Terrace to Hap Chow who enlarged and remodeled the restaurant, incorporating the former Montgomery-Ward store next door, and changed the name to the Peking Restaurant. Mr. Chow received a Daily News architectural award for his striking remodeling job. The Peking Restaurant continued the long tradition of making fine Chinese cuisines in Red Bluff, a tradition started by the Chew family. The building still stands today as Guadalajara Mexican restaurant where an old Ming Terrace photo can be discovered in the lobby.  Today, two red bricks can be found at the Cone & Kimball Plaza Clock Tower where Joe had a dedication made in memory of the Chew Family restaurants.

In 2005, Joe authored “The Chew Family” section of the 2005 edition of the Tehama County Memories by the Tehama County Genealogical & Historical Society. Joe was featured in the April 26, 2005 Red Bluff Daily Newspaper for his contribution to the book.

After retirement, Joe and Helen kept busy traveling around the world and enjoying a well-earned retirement.  Joe in particular, remained an active resident and Red Bluff businessman, making his last property sale in January 2021. He owned many commercial buildings in town, managed rentals, and became a successful investor.  Joe loved his community and loved being from Red Bluff. Joe’s long eventful life melted hearts and often when he would go places, people would holler “hey Joe” or cheer or clap when he entered a room. He donated to over 17 organizations because his heart felt for them, he was a real softy and had a real soft spot for all animals.

Before the 2019 global pandemic, Joe went to the Senior Center twice a week, lived with his daughter Diane who kept him on his toes and he absolutely loved going to the Asian supermarkets to snag good deals. He was a major animal lover particularly dogs and cats. For most of his life he still prepared and filed his own taxes and even audited his 2021 tax return.  The global pandemic never stopped Joe from remaining very active and he spoke on his cell phone daily, he prepared his own meals, and took care of his dog. He kept himself pretty busy at home watching CNN, Shark Tank, Tennis or ESPN and paying bills.

Joe celebrated his 99th birthday on December 23rd 2020 in his beloved home in Red Bluff. Throughout his lifetime, he had always prioritized family and today the Chew, Ong, Wong, Fong, Dong, and Yee family are a large population which is what filled his heart every night. He had made many lifelong friends in his final years, and was dearly beloved by his family and friends; he is incredibly deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. Joe’s life was simply, “remarkable” as he would say.

Many Chinese people resided in Red Bluff as early as 1852 for the Gold Rush but the extended Chew Family claimed the longest residence of any Chinese-American family in Tehama County.

Twentieth Century Pioneer

The extended Chew family became strong believers in higher education. All of Dick’s four sons: Edward, James, Christopher, and Kenneth as well as his younger brother Joe received college degrees. Ken Chew went on to earn a PhD in Fisheries and Aquaculture at the University of Washington in 1962. In 1993, he received the Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award at UW. In 2001, a Ken Chew Endowment Professorship in Aquaculture was established at UW. In 2004, he was honored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for his outstanding contribution to aquaculture development in the United States. Then in 2014, NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) under U.S. Commerce in coordination with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund authorized a Federally named new shellfish hatchery facility in his name, the Kenneth K. Chew Center for Shellfish Research and Restoration located in Clam Bay, Manchester, WA. Ken would pioneer the aquaculture industry changing the world.