Bo Sing Young (1889 - 1935)

Born 15 May 1889 in China

Died 20 May 1935 at age 46 in Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, United States

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Biography

Bo Sing was born in 1889. He was the son of Mon Fung Young. He passed away in 1935.

      There was a wreath over the locked door of Bo Sing's Chinese Restaurant on the Country Club plaza at 415 Alameda road last night.
      Bo Sing died yesterday afternoon at his home, 3827 Troost avenue, surrounded by his collections of Chinese jade more than 2,000 years old and his rare porcelains. To many Bo Sing was known as the operator of Chinese restaurants. But to a few of his intimates and those interested in art he was known as a collector of jade objects of the Han dynasty, which flourished in China for two centuries, before and after Christ.
      Bo Sing's intimates knew also his home was full of old Chinese teak wood furniture, hand caved and inlaid with mother of pearl. They knew his beautiful tapestries and other art objects.

      There was no one to appraise Bo Sing's jade. But there were those who appreciated its beauty. It had been on exhibition at the Kansas City Art Institute. Bo Sing refused to part with his treasures when offers were made.
      Bo Sing never discussed the Chinese family from which he descended, although a year ago when Dr. C. T. Loo, Parisian art collector, gave a 12-course dinner of Chinese foods at his restaurant Bo Sing said the dinner was nothing at all. In his native land, 30-course dinners were not extraordinary. But asked about his antecedents, members of his family looked puzzled.
      Bo Sing Young (that was his name, although he was best known as Bo Sing) long had been a leader among the Chinese business men of this section, although he was only 46 years old. He had inherited that leadership from his father, the late Dr. Ming Fox Young.
      Unlike his father, Bo sing's body will not be returned to his native land for burial. Bo Sing and his uncle, Dr. Cook Bar Young, six years ago made provisions so that the Chinese of the Kansas City district may be buried in one plot.

      Eight Chinese are buried in the ground provided by Bo Sing and his uncle in Highland Park cemetery, Kansas City Kansas. When he saw that death was drawing hear, Bo Sing requested that his body join the line, that no special burial place be made for him.
      Among the Chinese, Bo Sing was known as a weathy man, but he doubted that he had attained success. Several of his schoolmates at the Humboldt school achieved an eminence in the professional world. "I have done nothing." he said.
      Bo Sing lived as a boy at St Joseph. Mo. He was brought to Kansas City in 1902 by his father, a licensed physician who treated mostly with herbs. Until last November, when he became ill. Bo Sing lived for many years at 315 West Twelfth Street.
     He learned the restaurant business at the King Joy Lo when it was operated by his father and uncle at Twelfth Street and Grand avenue. Later Bo Sing became the proprietor. He retained a silent partnership at his death.

     With Bo Sing at his death was his sister, Mrs. Olive Young Lum , a graduate of Christian College at Columbia Mo. who was known as the "Chinese Mary Pickford." She became the reigning film star of the orient after her graduation, making movies in the Shanghai studios.
      Bo Sing was a solidifying influence among the Chinese here. Several times threats of death and destruction of property were made by the lower Chinese to the merchants and Bo Sing always was called upon by his fellows to lead in forestalling a tong war. He was secretary of the Chinese Merchants' Association.
      A few days before his fatal illness began, Bo Sing was one of those selected to receive the hero of the Chinese army which repulsed the Japanese army at Shanghai in 1932, Gen. Tsai Ting-kai, who visited here last October.
      The customers at Bo Sing's restaurant inquired for him when they missed his characteristic greeting and many of them visited him while he was on his sick bed. First there were American physicians who tried to save his life. Despairing, a Chinese specialist was called by airplane from Chicago and another from New York. Bo Sing had an abiding faith in the healing power of herbs because he had seen his father and uncle use them to treat so many patients.

      Bo Sing kept in touch. He helped to direct his business from his bed and tried to look after his four children and his American born wife. Mrs Low Shee Young. There were periods when he had not the use of his voice and wrote notes in a clear English Style.
      As was his habit, Bo Sing inquired after the health of his American and Chinese friends and sent many of them tokens of remembrance. "I hope to be seeing you at the restaurant when you return." he wrote J. C. Nichols as Mr. Nichols was leaving the city.
     He once said that if he achieved nothing else, he wanted always to be considered a "good friend to all." That was his eminence.

     One day when Dr. Walter L Wilson visited Bo Sing's restaurant Bo Sing said he had become a Christian through listening to Dr. WIlson's Bible lesson over WDAP, the radio station of The Star. Dr. Wilson visited Bo Sing's sick room last week. The funeral services for Bo Sing at 9 o'clock Friday morning at the Wagner chapel will be conducted by Dr. Wilson.
     Besides his widow, his uncle and sister, Bo Sing leaves two daughters Muriel Young, a student at Manuel Training high school and Mary Jane Young, and two sons Moe-Kong Young and Moe-Quinn Young. Bo Sing is survived also by an aunt Mrs. Sue Ming Young. All live at the home.
      The wreath will be taken off the door of Bo Sing's restaurant after Bo Sing is laid to rest and members of his family will continue it's operation. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Kansas City Times, 21 Mar. 1935, p. 6. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=image/v2:11FF2A92A519802A@EANX-NB-16B5876F53B0FEB5@2427883-16B44025F0E32FB6@5. Accessed 7 Mar. 2020.

• 1910 United States Federal Census Ancestry Record 7884 #14179450

• 1930 United States Federal Census (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHVG-Y2C : accessed 7 March 2020), Bo Sing Young in household of Cook B Young, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 21, sheet 6A, line 44, family 80, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1193; FHL microfilm 2,340,928. Ancestry Record 6224 #8147475

• U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3RF-M1V : 23 August 2019), Yee Sing Young, 1917-1918. Ancestry Record 6482 #30708895

• Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 - 1969 https://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1935/1935_00009488.PDF

• Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156701359 : accessed 06 March 2020), memorial page for Bo Sing Young (1889–1935), Find A Grave Memorial no. 156701359, citing Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas, USA ; Maintained by KsCityKim (contributor 47766275) . Find A Grave: Memorial #156701359