His Story · told the Hmong way
The cloth unrolls as you scroll
For generations Hmong stories were kept in thread, not in writing; the paj ntaub was the family's book. This is his journey, stitched scene by scene. Scroll slowly; the cloth sews itself as you go.
Born in the mountains
Born April 25, 1941 to Nchaiv Leej Xyooj and Phuab Vaj, the fourth of nine children. His father passed when he was eleven, the family blended and carried on, and he attended grade school in Loos Lam.
Medic, then paratrooper
The war ended his schooling. He trained first as a medic and then as a paratrooper, serving under General Vang Pao and saving lives through seven years of war.
Say, and the Mekong
In December 1962 he married Ntxhais Yaj, Say Yang. He built a rice mill business. When the war ended in 1975, the family fled across the Mekong to Thailand.
The camps
In the refugee camps they sought asylum to the United States, and three Lutheran churches in Canton, Ohio answered the call to sponsor them.
Sponsored to Ohio
Good Shepherd, Martin Luther, and Zion Lutheran Church brought the family to Canton, Ohio, where a new life began in a cold new country.
California, then Georgia
Santa Ana in 1977 to be near family; Georgia in 1987: Decatur, Stone Mountain, then the farmland of Dacula and Jefferson, sharing his harvest with the community. He worked at Oki Telecom until retiring in 2006.
Scroll · the cloth stitches itself in
A remembrance
His life, in a short film
Seventy-five seconds of his journey - from Laos and the crossing to a new country, his faith, and the family he raised.
After the journey
The church years, and the Blue Bus
Wa Doua lived his life to honor God. He served the church first in Laos, and in America he drove the little “Blue Bus” to pick up families for services, eventually serving as an Elder. He helped build First Hmong Alliance of Santa Ana, Hmong New Hope Alliance, and Victory Hmong Alliance Church.
He loved to farm. Georgia gave him land in Dacula and then Jefferson, and the community shared in his harvest. He was, in his family's words, a servant to many, a courageous man who saved lives during the war, a loving provider, and a model employee until the day he retired.
His words
Twelve Life Lessons
Written down by his children, in his own two languages, stitched here like samplers.
“Ua neej nyob, tes kawm ua tug swb, txhob ua tug yeej.”
In you life, learn to be the lessor, not being the greater.
“Yus ua neej nyob, yuav tsum nrog luag xeem ua neej.”
Life is a race, you must learn to compete with others.
“Ua ntej koj txav txim sab, yuav tsum rub hauv ncoo sab sab, tes maam txav txim moog ua.”
Before you make an important decision, sit up high on your pillow and think hard about it, then decide.
“Ib leeg yuav tsum txhawb ib leeg.”
Each of you must support each other.
“Nyoo yus qhov txhaum, sib kho tes thiaj zoo.”
Admit to your guilt, then look to fix it to make it better.
“Thov Vajtswv txhua hnub txhua mo, lawv le koj niam wb tau thov Vajtswv hauv wb lub neej.”
Pray to God, day and night, that is how your mother and I have lived our lives.
“Nej yuav tsum ib leeg txawj hlub ib leeg.”
Each of you must love each other.
“Yus yog tus hlob, tes yuav tsum ua siab ntev rau cov yau.”
As the eldest, be patient with your younger siblings.
“Rau siab kawm ntawv, thiaj li pab koj lub neej.”
Study hard and get a good education, it will serve you well in your life.
“Sib hlub sib pab, thiaj ua tau ib pawg.”
Love each other to be united as one
“Yus lub neej yog yus lub neej, yuav tsum kho kom zoo.”
Your life is your life, it's up to you to fix it to make it good.
“Kuv tsi paub thaum twg Vajtswv yuav coj kuv mus, tiam sis kuv yeej npaj txhij txua nrog nwg mus.”
My work is done, I'm ready to go be with God when he calls me to go.
Read the full biography, as the family wrote it
On October 7th, our loving father, Vam Nruas Xyooj (Wa Doua Xiong), went home to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. He was 80 years of age and passed at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. He passed away peacefully from natural cause.
He was born on April 25th, 1941, in Naj Nyoos, Laos to Nchaiv Leej Xyooj and Phuab Vaj. He was the fourth child of nine children. His father passed when he was 11, and his mother re-married Txhiaj Kaub Xyooj. They had one son and she also passed and his step-father re-married. It became a blended family.
In his youth, he attended grade school in Loos Lam, Laos. His desire for an education ended with the Vietnam War raging and he left to train first as a medic and then as a paratrooper with the Royal Thai Army and served under General Vang Pao. (1960 - 1967)
Wa Doua married Ntxhais Yaj (Say Yang), the daughter of Mog Pov Yaj, in December of 1962 and eight children (5 sons/3 daughters) were born from this union. He was an entrepreneur with a rice mill business. In 1975, at the end of the war, the family fled to Thailand. While in the refugee camps, they sought asylum status to the United States. On March 12, 1976, the family was sponsored to come to Ohio by Good Shepherd, Martin Luther, and Zion Lutheran Church in Canton, OH.
In 1977, the family departed the cold winters of Ohio and moved to the warmth of Santa Ana, California to be closer with other family members. In 1987, he visited Georgia and fell in love with the opportunities there and moved his family to Decatur and then Stone Mountain. Throughout his life, he loved to farm so he moved to Dacula and then to Jefferson, GA so he could work the land and share his bounty with the community. In Georgia, he worked for Oki Telecom, the leading Japanese Telecommunications company. He retired in 2006.
Wa Doua lived his life to honor God and served the church in various capacities. In his earlier years, he served the church in Laos and then in the US he drove the little “Blue Bus” to pick up families for church services and eventually served as an Elder in the church. He played an integral part in the success and growth of First Hmong Alliance of Santa Ana, Hmong New Hope Alliance and Victory Hmong Alliance Church. He was a servant to many in our community, a courageous man saving lives during the war, an elder in the church, a loving provider to his family, and a model employee while he was working.
Wa Doua is survived by his affectionate wife, 8 children, 29 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and a host of aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
“Kuv tsi paub thaum twg Vajtswv yuav coj kuv mus, tiam sis kuv yeej npaj txhij txua nrog nwg mus.”
My work is done, I'm ready to go be with God when he calls me to go.