K.K. Termite, Inc.

This is a tale of survival and courage; a tale of hardship and determination. This is a tale of one woman's path from the high of highs to the low of lows, and back again to a happy medium. This tale concludes with her legacy participating in and living the American Dream. Kiet Mo Cheung was born 1932 in Vietnam, Saigon. She met her husband when she was 19 years old, he was a diplomat in the South Vietnamese government. They were a well-to-do family by Asian standards and Kiet raised five happy, healthy children. In 1968 her youngest child was born, and later that year tragedy happened; her husband of 17 years died of lung cancer. As the family matriarch, Kiet had little to do with the finances—it was the man who handled these things. Within months, the family of six had depleted most of the savings and needed to move in with relatives in order to make ends meet. To make matters worse, the Vietnam War was coming to an end. The American troops were pulling out of Vietnam and soon South Vietnam would be taken over by Communist North Vietnam. The country was in chaos. With the help of relatives and friends the immediate family, along with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents all escaped to the United States. Kiet and her five children settled in Orange County. As a dedicated mother, she instilled the value of hard work and opportunity to all of her children. In spite of her limited English, Kiet was successful in acquiring and managing her own barber shop at age 55. A dream which could only be realized in this great country! Kiet re-married a wonderful man in 1997. She lived a productive and happy life for many years until 19 Aug 2003. Kiet passed away at age 72 living behind 5 children and 5 grandchildren. Kiet's Kids (K.K.) corporation was formed in honor of her memory.