Teo Sok Boon alias Teo Shanghai (Bukit Brown)

Mrs. Low Puay Kim nee Teo Shanghai passed away at the age of 31 at her residence No. 7, Lorong B, St. George's Road on 23 April 1929. On her tomb, her name is listed as Teo Shanghai and in the burial registrar, Teo Sok Boon. 12 years before she passed away she married Low Puay Kim . On 7 July 1917, Miss. Teo Sok Boon married Mr. Low Puey Kim at No. 156-2, Middle Road, Singapore. Mr. Low Puey Kim is the son of Mr. Low Chai Soon. of Swatow. Miss Teo Sok Noon is the eldest daughter of Mr. Teo Bah Tan. A reception was held at the Garden Club, Cairnhill. Tracing her story back further, i believe that in 1911, Teo Shanghai was a student in The Convent. What is also interesting is there is another person called Teo Sochoo (maybe her sister? ). 

In memory of Teo Shanghai 

Teo Shanghai (1911)

Family 

Husband: Low Puay Kim 

In 1929, Low Puay Kim of No 7, Lorong B, St. George's Road  (Phone No 6936) put up and advertisement warning people that his name was missued to get orders on credit. In an advertisement in 1933, Low Puay Kim put an advertisement to purchase land. I have no other information at the moment about Low Puay Kim and his children. 

Father: Teo Bah Tan (1879 -1949)

Teo Bah Tan is the brother of Teo Eng Hock and both are sons of Teo Lee. Both Teo Bah Tan and Teo Eng Hock were merchants, rubber merchants and dealers. Teo Bah Tan is also a prominent supporter of the China revolutionary movement or Singapore's Tung Meng Hui (Chinese Revolutionary League). Teo Bah Tee is the great-grandfather of former Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. 

Mr. Teo Bah Tan passed away at age of 70 on 15th November 1949 at his residence 158 Killiney Road. The cortege left his house for Upper Serangoon Road Teochew Cemetery 4 and 1/2 milestone. Mrs. Teo Bah Tan passed away at the age of 35 on 23rd December 1919 at No. 156-2, Middle Road, Singapore. 

Teo Bah Tan and Tan Eng Hock in picture with Dr. Sun Yat Sen

Uncle: Teo Eng Hock (1871-1958)

Teo Eng Hock (1871-1958) was a Straits-born Teochew and became famous rubber planter and along with Tan Kah Kee were well known in rubber produce trade in Singapore. Teo Eng Hock was the founder of Teo Meng Hui in 1906 and Singapore's chapter of Kuomintang in 1912. He founded Nanyang Girls' School in 1917 and eventually returned to China taking up the post of Mayor of Swatow in the early 1930s. During World War II, Teo Eng Hock supported Wang Jinwei's pro-Japanese regime and was subsequently branded as a war traitor by the Kuomintang government. Teo Eng Hock retired from politics and eventually passed away in Hong Kong. His daughter, Teo Soon Kim was Singapore's first female lawyer.

Aunt: Teo Kiat Leng nee Mrs. Quek Lye Seng (1852-1945)

Madam Teo Kiat Leng passed away at the age of 93 at her residence No 188 Onan Road on 21 February 2605 (1945).She leaves behind 1 son, Quek Choo Siew, 3 daughters-in-law (Mrs. Quek Choon Huat, Mrs. Quek Choon Chye, Mrs. Quek Choon Siew), 2 brothers (Messrs. Teo Eng Hock and Teo Bah Tan), 1 sister (Madam Teo Chit Neo), 3 grand nephews (Lim Chong Pang, Lim Chong Min and Lim Chong Hsien), 4 granddaughters, 4 grandsons-in-law (Messrs. Seah Cheng Mock, Kee Cheng Chua, Tan Kwang Cheng and Chua Lye Kiat), many grand and great grandchildren. 

Grandfather: Teo Lee (1833-1899)

Teo Lee was born in Singapore around 1833. His father came from China after Singapore's founding by Raffles and for many years a gambier and pepper in the vicinity of Bukit Tunggal. Teo Lee started life as a cloth pedlar before opening a shop in Beach Road under the chop Tiang Bee dealing in mercer and piece goods and as a general commission agent and expanding eventually its trading connections with Trengganu, Kelantan, Bali and Amepenan. With his wealth, he bough many landed properties and was once a friend of the late Sultan Abu Bakar of Johore. His wife, Madam Tan Poh Neo is the granddaughter of Tan Hong Khuay (mayor of Muntok). Teo Lee's eldest daughter married Lim Peng Nguan and from that union, Lim Nee Soon was their son. The funeral of Teo Lee took place on 14th January 1899 and started from his residence, No 156-2 Middle Road to the Chinese Cemetery at Thompson Road for internment. Mrs. Teo Lee nee Tan Poh Neo alias Madam Bee Pow passed away at the age of 92 at No 171 Middle Road on 24th December 1932. She leaves behind her 2 sons, Teo Eng Hock and Teo Bah Tan, 2 daughters, 1 son-in-law, Mr. Png Seow Buay, 4 grandsons, Messrs. Lim Nee Soon, Teo Peng Kay, Teo Beng Wan and Teo Nee Wan ( subsequent paper mentions Teo Moh Nee, Quek Choon Huat, Quek Choon Siew, Tan Seow Tuan), several great grandchildren and several great great grandchildren. (China, Java, F.M.S papers copied). She is buried at Balestier Road burial ground (opposite Ah Hood Road). 

Teo Lee 

Mrs. Teo Lee nee Madam Tan Poh Neo

Teo Shanghai's teochew tomb in Bukit Brown is decorated with marble slabs and list the names of who the tomb is intended for. Whether all 3 are buried here, i am not sure, but what is confirmed so far is Madam Teo Shanghai alias Teo Sok Boon 

劉佩欽  (Low Puay Kim) 

妣林若音 (Lim Jiak Im) 

妣張淑文 (Teo Sok Boon) 

On the marble stone on each side, in the lead etching are the words: 

In Memoriam

My Dearly Beloved Wife 

Teo Shanghai 

Died 22nd April 1929

Age 31 Years

"Gone But Not Forgotten"

Low Puay Kim 

A Bitter Grief

A Shock Severe

To Part With One

I Love So Dear, 

My Loss Is Great 

I Won't Complain

But Hope Through God

To Meet Again 

Epitaph

Location of tomb

Teo Sok Boon alias Teo Shanghai nee Mrs. Low Puay Kim passed away at the age of 31 on 23rd April 1929. Block 3 Section B (Reserved), plot 509. Her tomb is close by to the tomb of Ngeow Nian Chin.

Tomb of Teo Shanghai nee Teo Sok Boon

Variant Names
Teo Sok Boon also refers to Teo Shanghai / Mrs. Low Puay Kim
Low Puay Kim also refers to Low Puey Kim 

[research on-going]

References

Advertisement. (1899, January 4). The Singapore Free Press, page 3. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Cambridge Local Examination. (1914, March 21). The Straits Times, page 9. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)
Advertisement.(1917, July 11). The Straits Times, page 8. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Deaths. (1919, December 24). Malaya Tribune, page 4.(Accessed from NewspaperSG)
Death. (1929, April 26). Malaya Tribune, page 8. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Death. (1932, December 24). The Straits Times, page 10. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Domestic Occurrence.Deaths.(1933, January 6). Malaya Tribune, page 8. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Advertisement. (1933, August 31). The Straits Times, page 4. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Death. (1945, February 21). Syonan Shimbun, page 2. (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Death. (1949, November 16). The Straits Times, page 6. (Accessed from NewspaperSG) 

Our heritage. (website). The Teo Lee family tree (Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Teo Bah Tan. (website). Geni.com(Accessed from NewspaperSG)

Mrs Low Puay Kim nee Teo Seok Boon.(website). Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials 新加坡墓碑铭集录. (Last accessed 24th January 2021)

One Hundred Years' History Of The Chinese In Singapore: The Annotated Edition.(2020)

by Ong Siang Song (Author), Kevin Y L Tan (Editor), G Uma Devi (Editor), Bak Lim Kua (Editor), Stephanie Pee (Contributor).