Mrs. Ong Chin Beng nee Madam Mabel Tan (Bukit Brown)

Mrs. Ong Chin Beng nee Mabel Tan passed away at the General Hospital after a long spell of typhoid illness. She was 28 and is survived by her husband and 3 children. The cortege left from No B Lorong 37, Geylang for Bukit Brown. 

Her tomb was overgrown and after some clean up, we can see the following from her tomb; 

In Loving Memory

Mrs. C.B. Ong nee Mabel Tan who died on 19/12/1935

at the age of 28

Chiloren:- Alice Ong, Charlie Ong and Cwennie Ong.

What is of course obvious other than the marble headstone is all in English, is the cross on her tomb. Christian tombs in Bukit Brown are rare as although Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery is a cemetery for chinese of various dialect groups but it is not known to be a cemetery of the Christian faith. Christians are usually buried in Bidadari Cemetery. That being said, i have a few tombs with cross on the tomb in Bukit Brown. Another thing you can spot is the headstone is at the back of the rectangle tomb and there is an obvious spelling error for the word "chiloren" and i am not sure if the third child name, "Cwennie" is spelt correctly. 

This article was posted on 19 December 2022,  87 years after Mrs. Ong Chin Beng nee Mabel Tan death anniversary. Hopefully her descendants will one day remember and come visit. 

Mabel Tan  ( Mrs. C.B. Ong)

Husband: Ong Chin Beng / Mr. C.B. Ong 

Ong Chin Beng won the Championship 4 times in succession becoming a champion after winning a T.KO against his opponent, Sng Chwee Seng. His ring career was comparatively short. When he vacated his spot, another legendary boxer by the name of Vivian "Boy" Walley went on the become the champion in April 1925 at the age of 18 years old. After Ong Chin Beng retired from boxing, he became a boxing promoter. Ong Chin Beng managed the New World Arena (whose Proprietor is Ong Boon Tat and Ong Peng Hock).

Boxing Arena at the New World 

The engagement was announced in 1927 of Mr. Ong Chin Beng, retired boxer of Malaya, only son of Mr. Ong Yew Inn, of Semarang to Miss Mabel Tan (eldest daughter of Mr. Tan Yew Chay, Singapore representative of the Java Sea and Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. 

On 6 September 6, 1928, announcement of the birth of a son. Mrs. Ong Chin Beng nee Mabel Tan died at age of 28 at the General Hospital on 20 December 1935 after a long typhoid illness. She is survived by her husband and 3 children. The funeral will leave No B Lorong 37 Geylang for Bukit Brown (Hill 4 Section A, plot 46).

Location of tomb 

Block 4 Section A, plot 46

Headstone of Mrs. C.B. Ong nee Mabel Tan