Eleanor Y. L. Tong

On November 23, 1919, Eleanor was born in Kauai, Hawaii. She was the only sister to her ten brothers. When she was in her teens, her parents took the entire family back to China to live for a few years and that's where she learned to read and write Chinese. She met her husband, John, through a matchmaker while in China and the two of them returned to the United States and married in 1940. Within the next six years, she gave birth to two sons, Patrick and Larry, and a daughter, Connie. She worked long days and long hours as a seamstress in Chinatown for many years, scrimping and saving until they had enough money to buy a house to move out of Chinatown.

The hard life continued until her children were grown and married. Eleanor and her husband then moved to Reno, Nevada, and operated a motel. After 7 years, her husband's illness forced them to retire early and they returned to California.

Eleanor never had a dull moment, even after her husband passed away. Her family always took her everywhere they went. Believe it or not, she loved to go fishing with them even until she was in her eighties. At home on sunny days, she would go out to the backyard, plant her Chinese vegetables, and watch them grow. She would pull out all the weeds that she could reach and helped to keep the yard looking pretty and immaculate.

If you gave her a picture, she would put the picture in her room. It will be on her dresser, end table, and all over the mirror and walls in her room. She cherished her family and friends. Years back when she was still cooking, we remember all the foods that she made - she made the best sesame balls, vegetable dumplings, Chinese tamales, and Westlake Duck!

Eleanor enjoyed the many trips she made to Reno. She loved playing the Blazing 7's slot machine and would play her favorite machine for hours and hours. She was pretty lucky and was so happy when she hits a jackpot. She would always tell you how much she won but she never volunteered any information if she was losing. Eleanor leaves behind not only her three children, but seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her gentle and loving ways, her thoughtfulness, warm personality, and generosity. She was the foundation to the very close-knit family that she now leaves behind. Her passing leaves a large gap in the lives of everyone she touched, but the cherished memories of her will last a lifetime.