Mrs Loke Cheng Kim
| Loke Cheng Kim | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
5 May 1895 Penang, Malaysia |
| Died | 1981 (aged 85–86) |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Alma mater | Methodist Girls' School, Kuala Lumpur |
| Home town | Rawang, Malaysia |
| Spouse(s) | Loke Yew |
| Children |
Son Loke Wan Tho Daughters Loke Yuen Theng (Mrs Choo Kok Leong) Loke Yuen Peng (Lady Percy McNiece) |
| Parent(s) | Mother Soon Kui Sim |
| Relatives | Lim Shuk Kwei (cousin and third wife of Loke Yew; deceased) |
Loke Cheng Kim (simplified Chinese: 陆淑佳; traditional Chinese: 陸淑佳; pinyin: Lù Shū Jiā; 5 May 1895 – 1981) was a Malaysian-born Singaporean businesswoman and philanthropist.
Loke was born the eldest daughter of a Hokkien Chinese family which owned tin mines in Selangor and had been established in Malaya for generations. Her mother, Soon Kui Sim, took over the management of her husband's tin mines in Rawang, when he was forced to retire due to illness. Being largely illiterate, she devised her own complex hieroglyphic bookkeeping system to manage the family's extensive finances. Loke's mother would even go to the mines personally and wake the labourers up to work by literally pulling them out of bed. Not having had the opportunity to be schooled, she was determined that her daughter would not be illiterate and sent the young girl to study at the Methodist Girls' School Kuala Lumpur [MGSKL] by train – a journey of 50 miles each way.
Once, Loke fell asleep on the train on her way home from school and she awakened just as the train was starting to leave Rawang Station. She was so scared of returning home late and receiving a good chiding from her mother that she leapt out of the moving train. Fortunately the train was not moving fast as it was just leaving the station so she escaped with a few bruises. However, she still received a chiding from her mother when the latter was informed by the station master of what had happened. Despite her domineering character, her mother's strength and determination became a great influence on Loke's life.
Loke was matchmade by other relatives and married Loke Yew in 1914, after his third wife and her distant cousin Lim Shuk Kwei died. After only three years of marriage and the birth of three children, Loke Yew died. Upon his death, she had to bring up three children on her own, and was especially concerned with the poor health of her eldest child: her son Wan Tho. This spurred her to the point of bringing the children abroad for education and healthcare in Switzerland in 1929.
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Wikipedia