Qing Ming 2025 - Yap Geok Song revisited

I managed to catch up with the descendants of Yap Geok Song in 2025 as they go about with their annual Qing Ming visit and that gathering allowed me to catch up with them since the last time i met them for their Qing Ming in 2022. The tomb of Yap Geok Song is immaculate and maintained very well. In another 3 years it will be the 100th year death anniversary of Mr. Yap Geok Song.

Qing Ming 2025 at Yap Geok Song 

The surroundings have changed a bit but nevertheless still beautiful 

Tomb of Mr. and Mrs. Yap Geok Song 

It was also during the chat, we spoke more about Yap Geok Song and his life. I thought also it was time to go through to see if i can find more information and update his article since i last shared about him more than 13 years ago. 

Yap Geok Song death date and 358 River Valley Road

Yap Geok Song passed away at the age of 55 on 12 March 1928 due to heart failure at his town residence, 358 River Valley Road. From that article and few others, i gathered that 358 River Valley Road was the town residence as he had business operating from 91-4 River Valley.

But wait, 358 River Valley Road sounds familiar to me. Assuming there was no changes to address numbers (which do happen over the years), 358 River Valley Road was also the last address for Khoo Yang Tin who passed away at the age of 87 at his residence, 358 River Valley Road on 25 December 2603 (1943). Khoo Yang Tin is the father of Khoo Teck Puat. Again this is speculation for now because i can't be certain numbers has changed. 

358  River Valley Road (source: PictureSG , Lee Kip Lin Collection)

358 River Valley Road has services flat that was put on rent / sale from 1932 - 1935

15 April 1932

The Chinese did not like their graves flooded

An article on 18 August 1908 got me asking who is the late Madam Tan Chin Neo where Mr. Yap Geok Song went to great lengths to appeal to the Singapore Municipal Commission to allow him to exhumed her remains which was buried in the Moses estate (Bukit Timah Road) to another part of the estate. The motion to remove was eventually approved.  

[research still on-going]

About Yap Geok Song 

I wrote about Yap Geok Song in a n article dated 1 April 2012. You can read about him in that story 

Yap Geok Song
(picture courtesy of Yap Family Archives)

Source: Lianhe Zaobao (22 September 2014)

The happy descendant's when i brought them to visit on August 17, 2014

References 

City of Singapore. (website). National Archives Singapore