Her vision is diminishing, but her memory is crystal clear – especially when it comes to talking about the lush gardens she planted around her home. Perhaps being surrounded by beautiful foliage while he was growing up inspired her son, Donovan, to become a landscape architect. He’s designed many Sacramento residential landscapes.
Grace Fong was born in June 1924 in Sacramento, one of seven children. Dad worked for Southern Pacific, Mom at the local cannery. Grace’s one remaining 95-year-old sister lives in Kaneohe, Hawaii. They talk weekly.
She grew up among other Chinese families near 5th and P Streets. Grace recalls playing hide-n-seek and jump rope with her friends and playing team sports at the nearby YMCA.
She attended Lincoln Elementary and graduated from Sacramento High. Although Chinese was spoken at home, Grace also went to Chinese language school six days a week. Much to her mother’s chagrin, Grace only spoke limited Chinese with her children.
Grace was 22 when she met Walter Lee at the Chinese Gospel Mission. She liked him right away because he was thoughtful and a man of faith. Walter was from Walnut Grove and had 10 other siblings. He helped his brothers operate the U-Like Grocery store in Isleton.
Sacramento’s Westminster Presbyterian Church was the site of their October 1948 wedding. Walter found employment with the U.S. Postal Service; Grace worked for the State of California. They were married 55 years before he passed. They had two daughters, Daphne and Devonna, and two sons, Donovan and Duane. Grace has six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Walter cooked most of the family meals, which followed a routine: every Sunday, there was Harvey’s burgers after church and a spaghetti dinner; steamed egg with cream of mushroom soup on Mondays; steamed pork on Tuesdays; sloppy joes on Wednesdays; flank steak on Thursdays; steak on Fridays; and on Saturdays, soy sauce chicken or striped bass. Walter was an avid photographer, chronicling Delta life and residents during the 1930-50s.
Grace’s passion was creating her home’s landscape. The produce garden was filled with Chinese vegetables – long beans, bitter melon, squash, and others, depending on the season. She alone tended to the immense landscape.
Grace hemmed the kids’ clothes on a sewing machine she bought from a neighbor who was sent to an internment camp. The family was very active with the Sacramento Chinese Baptist Church. She and Walter traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe.
The secret to her long life? Maybe it’s her genes, her faith in God, or the gardens she lovingly created and nurtured. I think it’s a combination of all three.
Add a Comment