Ong Hood Guan (Bukit Brown)

It was a tomb covered with moss and vines. After clearing a bit of the marble shoulder, i could finally make out the words; 

Leaving behind his wife

Madam Tan Kim Neo 

Son: Ong Teck Hock 

Daughter

Helen Ong

Daughter-in-law

Chan Poh Leng 

Grandsons

Soon Leong

Soon Kee

Ong Hood Guan - Madam Tan Kim Neo 

Behind the altar table, the vines of the fig tree was blocking the name of the person but checking and

confirming with Raymond, i found out the person buried here is Ong Hood Guan who passed away on 13 February 1933.

Insights from the Suit over an an alleged lunatic's shares (1935)

Tan Kim Neo inherited a considerable amount of property in the Straits and French Indo-China (Vietnam) from the estate of her father (likely to be Tan Keng Ho who passed away on 17 June 1885 - said to be one of the richest Chinese in Saigon who had opium farming concessions ) and managed by the British Malaya Trustee and Executor Co. Ltd. 

Tan Kim Neo was a patient in the mental hospital from from about 1912 until her death in 1939. 

In a court judgement dated 26 February 1921, the Singapore Courts made an order declaring Tan Kim Neo a lunatic and incapable of managing herself and her affairs and appointed her husband, Ong Hood Guan the committee of her estate.  Ong Hood Guan of No. 160 Bencoolen Street then became the executor of the estate of his father-in-law, Tan Keng Ho in 1922 and thus manage the affairs of the estate as his wife was unable too. 

Ong Hood Guan died on 15 February 1933 and from that date till November 30, 1934 when the present plaintiffs were appointed (without a committee for her estate). 

Among the property which belong to Madam Tan Kim Neo were 60 shares in the Union Insurance Society of Canton which Ong Hood Guan was said to transfer to another person (his cousin by the name of Soh Keng Tee) for $18,000.  It was this transfer of shares that was disputed and because of this, the court case article - we can get many insights into the life of Madam Tan Kim Neo and her husband, Ong Hood Guan. 

Madam Tan Kim Neo (the newspaper article brands her as lunatic Tan Kim Neo) has been confined in the Mental Hospital at Singapore where the cost of her maintenance was up to  $1.50 a day (up to February 1924) and after that at rate of $25 per month. 

Tan Kim Neo inheritance squandered by her husband ?

The 1935 court article went on to mention, there can be no possible doubt that his lifetime, Ong Hood Guan wasted the property of Tan Kim Neo. The only expense the estate ordinarily incurred was the maintenance of Tan Kim Neo. Yet at his death, the only assets remaining to the Estate were this 60 shares. 

• A sum of $10,000 in Straits Settlement Governments Bonds disappeared
• A deposit of $2,000 with Ban Li Ann Ltd cannot be traced
• Shares in the Yangtse Insurance and others in North Insurance Company sold
• Not more than 2 of the regular dividends of the Union Insurance Company have been credited into her trust fund.
•  No accounts have been filed since 1926
• Cash balance of $1,606.58 in the last account has vanished

Second wife and daughter 

Ong Hood Guan has a second wife by the name of Pendek and was paying maintenance for her and school fees of his daughter, Helen.  (This matches the name of his daughter on the tomb shoulder - Helen Ong). 

Civil Suit Over Wealthy Estate 

Ong Teck Hock in November 1941 filed for letters of administration for Tan Kim Neo estate which still have value. The estate in Saigon was stated to be worth half a million dollars while her estate in Singapore is worth about $12,000. The application however was opposed by the 2 nieces of the deceased, Tan Soo Neo and Felicite Tan , both of whom are residents of Saigon. 

This case was probably disrupted by the Japanese Occupation  and what happened to the civil suit and the property post war - remains a mystery to me.

Location of tomb 

Ong Hood Guan passed away at the age of 50 on 15 February 1933and is buried in Block 3 Section C, plot 575B

References

Advertisement (Estate of Tan Keng Ho). (1922, August 26). The Straits Times, page 3

Suit Over an alleged lunatic's property. (1935, July 23). Malaya Tribune, page 12

Civil Suit Over Wealthy Estate. (1941, November 20). Morning Tribune, page 4