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11.30.07 - 1:22 am Gazette-Times Couple in serious condition after crash A Philomath couple was injured when their car ran into a utility pole on Halloween remained in serious condition Friday. Lipman and Monhem Wong were westbound on Highway 20 Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m., when Lipman Wong lost control of the car, according to Philomath Police Chief Ken Elwer. The vehicle ran off the road and up onto a utility pole at the corner of 19th Street and the highway. Both airbags deployed, but the damage to the car was severe enough that police and fire department personnel had some difficulty extracting Lipman Wong from the car. The Wongs, who are both in their 70s, were transported to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, where they remain in the intensive care unit. The gas tank ruptured, spilling fuel onto the street. Firefighters used foam to reduce the risk of fire. Traffic on Highway 20 was backed up for about two hours.
Lipman Wong Lipman Wong of Philomath died at age 79 due to injuries received from an automobile accident. He is survived by his wife, Mon Hem Wong; children Herman Wong, Wanda Schroeder and Tommy Wong; five grandchildren; and a sister, Chen Shee Hee. He was born in Guangzhou, China, and immigrated to the United States in 1947 and immersed himself into American culture and language with strong support from the Portland Chinese community. Throughout his years in the United States, he worked hard to become a successful entrepreneur and live the American dream. He excelled in various successful business ventures, including restaurant ownership. Mr. Wong was also proud of his military service in the United States Army from 1953-1955 with the rank of technical sergeant. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Caldwell�s Funeral Home in Portland. Burial will immediately follow at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the American Heart Association. "devoted friend. father. slumblord...the old coot lasted 10 days until he succumbed to his injuries....may he be buried somewhere as dank and moldy as the house he forced us to live in." i met the man a few times. he seemed ancient. on the brink of death. completely inaudible and even less intelligible. he was a tiny man and his presence around our house was worrysome. when his wife came to collect our late rent, ben would always say "it was mailed a few days ago..." and after seventy nine years, it was a common, every day utility pole that ended his life. that, and the complex series of events that lead to him losing control of his vehicle coincidentally at that particular spot in time and at just the appropriate speed to wrap it around that particular pole. he should have hit the snooze button on his alarm just one more time that morning.
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