Se Mui Phoong Ung, 79 years-old, of Springfield, Missouri passed peacefully on December 5, 2022 surrounded by her seven children, family, and friends.  Se Mui was born the daughter of Quay Phoong and Sy Chen in Canton, China. Her childhood years spent in Canton before her family immigrated to Phan Ri, South Vietnam.  In her teen years, Se Mui married Quay Ung and started their family, eventually having seven children.  In Vietnam she helped her mom at the family market while raising her young children at home. Shortly after the fall of Saigon, Se Mui and Quay took their seven children and approximately 400 friends and family members on Quay's fishing boat to a refugee camp in Thailand where they stayed for eleven months.  It was while in the refugee camp that the family was sponsored to the United States by the Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield.  Once arriving in Springfield in 1980, the family received extraordinary support and friendship from Dr. Gary and Pat Hrnicek, Wallace and Joyce Munden, and numerous other church members.

In 1982 Se Mui and Quay opened the first Hong Kong Inn Restaurant on South Glenstone, which they later moved to a brand-new location on Sunshine.  Se Mui took great satisfaction and pride in the success of the business and giving her children a piece of the American Dream.  Quay and Se Mui cemented their legacy of excellence by helping to sponsor to America multiple family members left behind in Vietnam.  Se Mui loved to travel abroad with her husband and family before it became more difficult to do so in her later years.  She spent countless hours in her garden that she would cultivate, plant, and harvest by hand every year.  Her garden would grow to be so robust that it would encompass the whole backyard of her home.  Everyone loved harvest time when she would share with family and friends the hard summers work with bushels and bags of bitter melon.  As a tireless worker she loved to do and accomplish many great things, but there was nothing she liked better than going to the casino!

Se Mui is preceded in death by her parents Quay Phoong and Sy Chen of Vietnam, loving husband of 50 years Quay of Springfield, Missouri, and sister Sam Mui Phoong of Louisville, Kentucky.

Se Mui Phoong Ung is survived by her seven children; Tai Tang, her husband Si and their children Tony with wife Daniela, and Emily, all of Springfield, Missouri; Cindy Lu, her husband Joe and their children Sandra Urquidi and husband Andrew, Amy Kounlavong and husband Jeffery, Jerry Lu and his wife Jennifer all of South Sioux City, Nebraska; Vincent Ung, his wife Thuy and their children Simon, Benjamin, and Mathew all of Springfield; Mimi Wong, her husband Rick and their children, Christopher, Erin, and Ariel all of Honolulu, Hawaii; Stephen Ung, his wife Elaine, and their children Brandon and Britney all of Springfield, Missouri; Stacy Rohrbaugh, her husband Michael and their children Hannah and Tyler all of Springfield, Missouri; Sat Ung, his wife Rina and their children Mila and Madison all of Springfield, Missouri.  Se Mui is also survived by her brothers Henh Va Phoong and Henh Manh Phoong both of Vietnam; sister Sao Denh Phoong of Sioux City, Iowa, and seven great-grandchildren.

An American funeral will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, December 18, 2022 in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.  A Chinese funeral will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, also in the funeral home, with Chi San Duong plus assistants officiating.  Burial will follow at Rivermonte Memorial Gardens. No memorial donations however, flowers will be accepted.