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Date of these obituaries: 08-08-2001
Chat Wan Wong, liked freedom, fresh air of U.S.
After the Communists seized power in China in 1949, Chat Wan Wong lost his job, his family, his home and his freedom.
So when his son was able to bring him to the United States in 1980, Mr. Wong thought he had landed in paradise.
"The last 20 years were the best of his life, " said his son, Mike Wong of Villa Hills, who owns the Oriental Wok in Fort Mitchell.
"He liked the environment. He liked the fresh air. He liked the government. And he liked the freedom."
Chat Wan Wong died Monday morning at Lakeside Place Nursing Home in Highland Heights. He was 87 years old.
Mr. Wong was born in Canton, China, and studied accounting before taking a job with a bank.
He worked there about 30 years and was the bank manager when Mao Tse-tung founded the People's Republic of China.
Early in 1950, the bank's assets were seized.
"He had a good position, a job and a family until Red China, " Mike Wong said.
For a time, Chat Wan Wong was forced to remain on the premises - even sleeping there - because the Communists needed his banking expertise.
After a long workday, Mr. Wong was subjected to harsh brain-washing measures, his son said.
"They take you to the office and turn on the light real bright and they say, 'Hey, this is wrong. You worked for the previous government.' "
Meanwhile, Mr. Wong's home was taken away and his family - his wife and six children - divided among relatives. They often went hungry.
Mike Wong was able to make his way to Cincinnati in 1972 with the help of a sponsor who was a chef in a Chinese restaurant.
He took up the same business and, after he made some money and fulfilled a long list of immigration requirements, was able to bring his parents and four brothers to America.
Mike Wong set his parents up in a small house in Edgewood, within walking distance of the Oriental Wok.
Mike Wong said his father helped out at the restaurant for a number of years, making a little wonton soup or egg rolls on occasion.
He and his wife, Shan Gin Wong, were members of the Cincinnati Chinese Church. She died in 1994.
Besides Mike Wong, survivors include sons, John Wong of Hong Kong, Victor Wong of Edgewood, Michael Wong cq two mikes of South Carolina and Raymond Wong of Florida; a daughter, Sue Wong of China; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home in Covington. Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Burial will be in Highland cemetery in Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to the Cincinnati Chinese Church, 1393 Compton Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231.
Lyle E. Blackburn, 29, of Mount Vernon, died Tuesday at Rockcastle Hospital in Mo unt Vernon.
He was a self-employed truck driver and a member of Cornerstone of Faith Church.
Survivors include his wife, Melissa Irwin Blackburn; a son, Robert Blackburn, at home; daughters, Amanda Blackburn, Brittany Blackburn and Tiffani Blackburn, all at home; his mother, Dorothy Hyde Blackburn of Williamstown; a brother, Robert Blackburn of Walton; and sisters, Robin Mercer of Walton and Kathleen Blackburn of Florence.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Northside Baptist Church, Mount Vernon. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery, Mount Vernon.
Cox Funeral Home, Mount Vernon, is handling arrangements.
Virginia M. Brake, 76, of Fort Thomas, died at 10:45 a.m. June 16 at her home.
She was a secretary. Her husband, Howard Brake, died in 1964.
Survivors include daughters, Pamela Domizlaff and Nancy Gray, both of Fort Thomas; sisters, Joy Govsky of Manassas, Va., and Dolores Wallace of Salisbury, Md.; and seven grandchildren.
Memorial Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Fort Thomas.
Mrs. Brake bequeathed her body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Rev. Henry K. Carl, 92, of Augusta, died at 1 a.m. Tuesday at Augusta Health Care Ce nter.
He was a minister and a member of Concord United Methodist Church, Brooksville. His first wife, Hildreth Tilton, died in 1954. His second wife, Virginia Bockley, died in 1990.
There are no immediate survivors.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Concord United Methodist Church, Brooksville. Visitation will begin there at 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Concord Cemetery, Brooksville.
Memorials are suggested to Concord United Methodist Church Building Fund, in care of David Kurtz, 3599 Ky. 435, Maysville, Ky. 41056.
Ulysses Grant Combs, 74, of Kenton Vale, died at 2:31 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
He was a retired machine tender with Duro Bag Co., Covington, and a member of the Church of Christ, Covington.
Survivors include his wife, Nellie Mae Combs; sons, Glenn D. Combs of Taylor Mill, Bobby D. Combs of Covington, Ted J. Combs of Florence and Randall Perkins of Louisville; daughters, Wilma L. Baker of Kenton Vale, Carol Jo Joseph of Hazard and Lois Durbin of Port Ritchie, Fla.; a sister, Frances Dunigan of Beattyville; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Wabaco Church, Hazard. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. today at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Burial will be in Combs Family Cemetery, Hazard.
Zerrick Allen Doyle, 5, of Carrollton, died Monday at Kosair Children's Hospital, Louisville, of injuries suffered in an auto accident.
He was a member of Family Worship Center, Carrollton.
Survivors include his parents, Melinda Myrick of Carrollton and Shawn Allen Doyle of Seymour, Ind.; and grandparents, Cindy Rothrock of Carrollton and Thresa Hilderbrand of Madison, Ind.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Family Worship Center. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Burial will be in Reddington Cemetery, Seymour, Ind.
Frank Casper Foltz, 47, of Cincinnati, died Tuesday at his home.
Survivors include sisters, Earlene Deatherage of Florence, Judy Whelan of Villa Hills, Corky Hitter of Martha Gronefeld of Crescent Springs and Bonnie Kirkwood of Erlanger.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph Church, Crescent Springs. Visitation will begin there at 6 p.m. Thursday. Cremation will be at Baxter Cremation Service, Cincinnati.
Memorials are suggested to Kidney Foundation, 2200 Victory Parkway, Suite 510, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206.
George Thomas Fryman, 63, of Cynthiana, died Monday at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Cynthiana.
He was a farmer. A son, Steven Todd Fryman, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Marie Ritchie Fryman; sons, William Thomas Fryman of Harrison County and Frazier Allen Fryman of Pendleton County; brothers, Robert Lee Fryman of Carrollton and Frazier D. Fryman of Harrison County; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Stanley Louis Gibson, 77, of Newport, died at 10:45 a.m. Monday at Baptist Convalesc ent Center in Newport.
He was a retired shipping and receiving clerk with Heekin Can Co., a member of Madisonville Christian Church and a Merchant Marine veteran of World War II.
Survivors include a sister, Dorothy Holloway of Newport; two nieces and a nephew.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
William H. Hardy Jr., 66, of Berry, died at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana.
He was a retired installer with Howard Adams Heating and Air Conditioning in Cincinnati.
Survivors include his wife, Phyliss Moore Hardy; his father, William H. Hardy Sr. of Cynthiana; a brother, Otis Hardy of Cynthiana; and sisters, Rose Yockey of Newport and Mona Sorrell of Weaver, Ala.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Alexandria Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery.
Mary Louise Kueven, 80, of Fort Thomas, died Monday at Highlands of Fort Thomas nursing home.
She was a buyer with Shillito's department store.
Survivors include a daughter, Susan L. Aber of Fort Thomas; a son, Douglas J. Kueven of Clewiston, Fla.; a sister, two brothers, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Thomas Church, Fort Thomas. urial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to St. Thomas Church, 26 E. Villa Place, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Robert B. Morris, 86, of Huntington, W.Va., formerly of Fort Wright, died Tuesday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport.
He was a retired instrumentation technician with General Electric, Cincinnati, and a member of First United Methodist Church, Covington. He was an elder of the church, president of its finance committee and a member of the board of directors of the church day care center.
He also was a member of the John Wesley Sunday school class at Beverly Hills United Methodist Church in Huntington. His wife, Mary Eileen Morris, died in 2000.
Survivors include a son, Dr. James Morris of Huntington; a daughter, Beverly Martin of Ludlow; a brother, Harold Morris of Salt Lake City; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to First United Methodist Church, Fifth and Greenup streets, Covington, Ky. 41011.
Ray M. Sparrow, 67, of Corinth, died Monday at his home.
He was a retired employee of Phillips Driscopipe Co., Williamstown, and a member of New Columbus Baptist Church.
Survivors include sons, Calvin Sparrow and Dennis Sparrow, both of Corinth; a daughter, Lorraine "Peaches" Sparrow of Williamstown; a brother, Wilbur Sparrow of Okeechobee, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Rogers Funeral Home, Corinth. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in New Columbus Cemetery, Corinth.
Charles K. "Chuck" Winkler, 65, of Cincinnati, formerly of Fort Thomas, died at 12 :45 a.m. Monday at his home. He was a retired maintenance worker with Goodwill Industries in Woodlawn, Ohio.
Survivors include his wife, Alice Ewing Winkler; a daughter, Becky Lynn of Burlington; and a grandson.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
