Aso Chou Lee & Simanono Alailoa (Laututu) Tanuvasa

There is one individual record which states that Aso Chou Lee was born 18 February 1881, China, died 2 February 1954, Vaimoso, Apia, Western Samoa, and was buried 3 February 1954, Vaimoso, Apia, Western Samoa. It states that he was married to Simanono Alailoa Tanuvasa, 1927, Apia, Western Samoa, But their are children being born as early as 1915 so whether that is an actual marriage date, a general statement, a later 'Christian marriage date to the 'Island joining of Aso and Simanono, or just what is not known by me. The submitter is listed as Paul Chou Lee.

An individual record for Simanono Alailoa Tanuvasa gives her birth 3 October 1889, Salua, Manono, Western Samoa and also being Christened there without a date. She died 18 September 1976, Vaimoso, Apia, Western Samoa and was buried there 20 September, 1976. Her father was Lailoa Laututu or Alailoa Ae or Ta and her mother was Vasa Lauvao (TALAUEGA). This was also submitted by Paul Chou Lee of 7 Saxon Place Cecil Hills Sydney NSW Australia, my wife Rosie's brother I'd think.

Three and Seven, Four and Six or Eleven Children?

It is variously stated by some that Aso and Simanono had 3 sons and 7 daughters, 10 children all totaled. I can only find informatin and names for 6 girls: (1) MuiMuivale (Mui) Chou Lee, (2) Faimasasa (Sasa) Chou Lee, (3) Taua Chou Lee, (4) Va'ai (Vaaimamao/Iakopo) Chou Lee, (5) Sialasa (Alisa aka Fetu) Chou Lee, and (6) Gia (Etagia/Etegia) Chou Lee. If anyone has additional information concerning this, please let me know (hunterscastle@gmail.com). And from submissions by Paul Chou Lee, there seems to have been 4 sons, 3 that lived and 1 that died at the age of 1 year (1917-1918): (1) Ah Kuoi Chou Lee (1917-1918), (2) Ma'a Tanuvasa Chou Lee, (3) Au'uapa'au Paulo (Filo) Chou Lee, and (4) Apaau Manoa Taupau Chou Lee. Six and four still adds up to 10 children, but because of various statements that there were 7 girls, maybe I am missing one and there were actually 11 children?

Here at the right is a picture of Simanono sitting and daughters (4), older and younger? I don't have the names for them but I'd guess the oldest to be Mui or not? Certainly not all the daughters of Simanono are pictured and I wonder if the two younger children are her daughters or what? The 6 daughters seem to have been born from 1915 to abt 1930, so it is possible that these are 4 of the 6 daughters?

It would seem from internet sources that at last count there are/were two of the 1st generation Chou Lee sisters still living, Va'ai or Vaaimamao and Gia or Itagia seen at the left. I've found no submitted information concerning these two and if anyone can supply that it would be apreciated. You can certainly see the family resemblance between Simanono seated in the picture at the right and Va'ai at left in picture at the left. They could be sisters or the same person, but mother and daughter are certainly close enough.

There is no currently known parentage for Aso Chou Lee who was born in China and would have migrated to Samoa as a labourer. But from those submissions by Paul Chou Lee, there is some degree of pedigree given for Simanono, Aso's wife. That there were Island chiefs in the Chou Lee family is a known fact and 'Tanavasa' is an Island title. Whatever right to such must be presumed to have come via Simanono's ancestry as Aso was from China. I do not know much about this and would like to know more. Certainly the 'Tanuvasa' name is spread across the Chou Lee family. Here is that pedigree:

Hopefully there will be more information to come concerning the known three/four sons and seven/six daughters of this couple, my wife's and my children's ancestors.