S’pore woman dies at 109, went from hiding in coffin during WW2 to successful farm owner
Lim Ah Choo, a Singaporean woman, has passed away at the age of 109. Born in Hainan, China in 1917, she survived the Japanese invasion and went on to live a life filled with discipline and resilience. She married, started a family, and eventually became a successful pig f…
Intelligence analysis by Llama

Lim Ah Choo, a 109-year-old Singaporean woman, has passed away. She survived the Japanese invasion of Hainan, China, and went on to live a life of discipline and resilience, becoming a successful pig farm owner in Singapore. Her story is a testament to her strength and determination.
Lim Ah Choo was a very strong and determined woman who lived a long and interesting life. She survived a war, got married, had children, and even started a pig farm in Singapore. She was very disciplined and worked hard to achieve her goals, even into her 100s. She passed away at the age of 109, surrounded by her loved ones.
Analysis
A Life of Discipline and Resilience: The Story of Lim Ah Choo
Lim Ah Choo, a 109-year-old Singaporean woman, has left behind a legacy of discipline and resilience. Born in Hainan, China in 1917, she survived the Japanese invasion and went on to live a life filled with purpose and determination.
During World War II, Lim found herself hiding in a coffin to avoid Japanese soldiers. This experience had a profound impact on her, and she went on to live a life of discipline and hard work. She married, started a family, and eventually became a successful pig farm owner in Singapore.
Despite facing numerous challenges, Lim remained strong and continued to live a healthy lifestyle. She would cycle long distances to get water for the farm and collect leftovers from nearby eateries to feed the pigs. This routine continued until the farmland was eventually reclaimed for HDB flats.
Lim's love for discipline and hard work extended beyond her work on the farm. She would also cycle consistently from Sembawang to Ang Mo Kio, where she would practice taichi and wushu. She even took up badminton at the age of 77, quickly building up over a decade of playing time.
Lim's efforts helped her keep a lucid mind well into her 100s. However, Father Time is undefeated, and Lim's cycling trips were eventually cut down as her family was scared that she would get into an accident. Undaunted, Lim got straight to work on an indoor stationary bike, clocking in the miles while staying at home.
Even as her memory started slipping after she became a centurion, she still remembered her children's names. Perhaps the greatest test of time through the years, though, came in 1989, when her husband of over 40 years passed away. The two were very loving and would often go to the cinema together or to the community centre to practice tai chi.
Lim had met her husband before the war started, and had married him after it had ended. That's over 50 years of knowing and loving a person, which perhaps helped cushion the next 37 years she had to live without him.
It was near the end of all these lives lived that Beverley met her grandmother. Lim was already over 80 when Beverley was born, so she was far mellower than perhaps at any point in her life. She recalled her grandmother cheerfully yelling 'huat ah' when she would wish her happy new year.
But mellowing is a relative term, especially to someone like Lim, who Beverley calls the strongest woman she knew. Beverley remembered how Lim would scold her and her siblings for eating too much candy, and insist they eat more vegetables instead. It was a curious refrain considering they didn't have much of a sweet tooth.
Final days
Her health took a drastic turn for the worse this year. She fell into a deep sleep in the middle of February, around Feb. 14, not waking up even as the Chinese New Year celebrations were in full swing. Doctors were pessimistic about her chances on making it through the next few days.
Two days later, she woke up to eat some of her favourite durians. She would hang on till Feb. 23, where she would pass away at 4:50pm. By then, she was 109. Her farm's success, her youthful defiance, even her hard-earned health were a distant memory. But she went surrounded by loved ones. Responding, finally, to her husband's call to come home.
Key points
- Lim Ah Choo, a 109-year-old Singaporean woman, has passed away.
- She survived the Japanese invasion of Hainan, China, and went on to live a life of discipline and resilience.
- She became a successful pig farm owner in Singapore and continued to live a healthy lifestyle until her passing.
- Her story is a testament to her strength and determination.
- She passed away at the age of 109, surrounded by her loved ones.
Lim Ah Choo's life story is a testament to the importance of discipline and hard work in achieving one's goals. Her experiences during World War II and her subsequent life in Singapore serve as a reminder that with determination and resilience, we can overcome even the most challenging obstacles.
Lim Ah Choo's passing at the age of 109 serves as a reminder that even the strongest and most determined individuals are not immune to the effects of time. Her story highlights the importance of cherishing the time we have with our loved ones and making the most of every moment.
