Yuk Ing Girls' School : 'Mission Boys and Girls"

Before the Second World War, Rev and Mrs. Hoover managed the Yuk Ing Girls' school besides the many Methodist Churches which had been set up since 1903 in Sibu.

The Rev and Mrs. Hoover took in orphans to study in the school. At the begining there were girls only who were taken in because many of the Foochow families did not want to have too many girls. the girls were given free food and lodging. The fees from the paying students were able to support the orphans. Some generous chuirch members also contributed some funds for the education of these mission children.


In the photo above, the little boy standing next to Mrs. Hoover qualified as a medical doctor and later became a famous social activist in Hong Kong. A paying student, Ling Beng Siew, who went on to become a timber tycoon and politician, is the taller boy behind Ding Lik Kiu.

Mrs Hoover did not actually set up an orphanage as she was mainly very focussed on the education of girls in Sibu. She believed that the key to a strong (Foochow) society was education for women. For years many families placed Yuk Ing girls as the best daughter in law material. Before graduation they were already skilled in cooking, kitchen management, sewing, and housekeeping besides the mastery of the 3 R's. Mrs. Hoover was perhaps the 1920's version of Martha Steward. For example, many smart western weddings were planned by her when her girls got married. She would get all the girls to make paper flowers for the occasions.

Although Mrs. Hoover was very busy carrying her own load of teaching English in the afternoon session, she had the heart to foster these mission boys and girls and brought them up very properly.

The Yuk Ing Girls' school fullfilled many objectives and was really an outstanding institution, headed by an awesome Mrs. Hoover.

My 7th aunt remembers a pretty mission girl by the name of Nguk Lan who did so well that she was sent to St. Mary's Kuching to further her studies. Nguk Lan stayed in the Yuk Ing Girls' school since she was able to walk until she left for Kuching. During school holidays while those with families eagerly went home, Nyuk Lan stayed with the others in the school with the Hoovers. She eventually got married with blessings from the mission.

It is recognised that the most famous "mission" boy was Dr. Ding Lik Kiu who was orphaned at a very young age and Mrs. Hoover took him in. He actually became her foster son.

Today many people are still looking for more information about the girls (especially those who were orphaned) who studied in Yuk Ing Girls' School. It is really a pity that the war wore out Mrs. Hoover, who eventually did not leave behind much written record. And furthermore no one actually
kept track of  the school history and other documents.

(Note : After the war, Mrs. Hoover was very ill but she came back to her Yuk Ing School for a year. Eventually she retired and went to live in Perth. Her beloved school was revamped and the co-ed Methodist Secondary School was born and established on a beautiul wooded piece of land bought by the mission in 1949. Mrs. Hoover passed away in 1962 in Perth.)