Kwek Koon Yeow (Mong)
Overview
Kwek Koon Yeow (Mong) was a young adult who died at the age of 21 on 23 August 1925. He/She was commemorated on a distinctive double heart-shaped marble tomb in the older Lao Sua section of Bukit Brown Cemetery (part of the former Hokkien Huay Kuan lands, nearer to the Gymkhana Avenue side). The tomb stands out for its entirely English inscription that uses the atypical term "beloved mate" to describe the relationship with Tan Eng Liak, rather than any traditional familial terms such as husband, son, parents, siblings, children, or friends. The name "Koon Yeow" also sounds like a typical male name but there could be exceptions
Male name: 郭坤耀, 郭君耀, 郭昆耀 Female name: 郭君瑶, 郭坤瑶
Kwek Koon Yeow (Mong) was a young adult who died at the age of 21 on 23 August 1925. He/She was commemorated on a distinctive double heart-shaped marble tomb in the older Lao Sua section of Bukit Brown Cemetery (part of the former Hokkien Huay Kuan lands, nearer to the Gymkhana Avenue side). The tomb stands out for its entirely English inscription that uses the atypical term "beloved mate" to describe the relationship with Tan Eng Liak, rather than any traditional familial terms such as husband, son, parents, siblings, children, or friends. The name "Koon Yeow" also sounds like a typical male name but there could be exceptions
Male name: 郭坤耀, 郭君耀, 郭昆耀 Female name: 郭君瑶, 郭坤瑶
Genealogy & Burial Location
Family Details:
Father: Not mentioned
Mother: Not mentioned
Spouse: Not listed in traditional terms
Children: None mentioned
Genealogical Note:
No traditional family members (parents, siblings, wife, children) are referenced on the tombstone. The sole dedicatory relationship is "Beloved mate of Tan Eng Liak". The use of "mate" is highly unusual for 1925-era Chinese tomb epigraphy in Singapore, where inscriptions normally emphasise filial piety, clan ties, or formal spousal terms (e.g., "wife of" or "son of"). This points to a personal or informal bond rather than a conventional marriage or family structure. No clan association or ancestral origin is recorded.
No traditional family members (parents, siblings, wife, children) are referenced on the tombstone. The sole dedicatory relationship is "Beloved mate of Tan Eng Liak". The use of "mate" is highly unusual for 1925-era Chinese tomb epigraphy in Singapore, where inscriptions normally emphasise filial piety, clan ties, or formal spousal terms (e.g., "wife of" or "son of"). This points to a personal or informal bond rather than a conventional marriage or family structure. No clan association or ancestral origin is recorded.
Burial Location:
Cemetery: Bukit Brown Cemetery (Lao Sua section, older part of Hokkien Huay Kuan area)
Location: Lao Sua, on the side closer to Gymkhana Avenue
Tomb Inscriptions & Observations
IN LOVING MEMORY OF KWEK KOON YEOW
(MONG)
BELOVED MATE OF
TAN ENG LIAK
WHO LEFT THE 23RD AUG 1925
AGE 21 YEARS
The tomb features a unique double heart-shaped marble design with "beloved" + heart motif + sole dedication. The use of "mate" refers to a romantic or life partner — even a possible same-sex bond or "de facto" relationship not formalised under colonial or Chinese customary law (which required specific rites/clan recognition).
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