Ah Louis - Family

Family

Ah Louis married his first wife in China in 1860. She was in California in 1868, but returned to China about 1873. Ah last saw her in China in 1888. The 1880 census shows a wife living with him, but no children are shown. In May 1889, Ah married Eng Gon Ying (Silver Dove) in San Francisco. Together they raised their eight children (five sons and three daughters) in their residence above the Ah Louis Store.

Louis Children

• Lena Ah Tye Louis (1891-1975)
• Young Jung Yeong Louis (1893-1988)
• Mae Ah May Louis (1895-1988)
• Walter Ah Sing Louis (1897-1993)
• George Ah Him Louis (1899-1993)
• Helen Ah Heong Louis (1903-1994)
• Fred Ah Yuey Louis (1907-1994)
• Howard “Toby” Ah Toa Wong Louis (1908-2008)

In 1909 Eng Gon Ying Louis was murdered by Willie Wong, Ah Louis' son from his first marriage. In December 1932, accompanied by sons Fred and Howard, Ah returned to China, intending to visit family and to follow the tradition of dying where one was born. Disappointed with the lack of progress and modern technology and the high rate of banditry, Ah decided to return to San Luis Obispo. He died on December 18, 1936.

The youngest and last surviving of Ah Louis' children, Howard Louis, who continued to run the store until the late 1990s, died on August 15, 2008, at the age of 100.