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Kai Young Wong was 29 when she immigrated to Portland from China in 1924 to be with her husband. But for much of her life she scraped together a living for her family in a building on Northwest Third Avenue.

The building, at 221 N.W. Third Ave., now belongs to Wong鈥檚 daughter May Oka, one of her eight children. The building has been vacant since 1975, and now Oka is ready to sell it. A broker has not been hired to represent the property, but Oka is seeking $695,000 for it.

The family鈥檚 life in the building started soon after Wong moved to America. Wong鈥檚 husband had died suddenly in 1934, Oka said. He had procured a bear paw, a Chinese herbal remedy. But as it was drying, Wong said it had a foul odor. Wong鈥檚 husband offered it to her, boasting that it was a delicacy, Oka said. Wong took the paw, but only pretended to eat it, so as not to insult him. Three weeks later, her husband died.

Wong then took on laundry work in Chinatown to provide for her family. In 1942, she bought the building on Northwest Third Avenue, where she ran her business, Wong鈥檚 Laundry, and lived with her children.

Oka was 7 when they moved into the building. Each of Wong鈥檚 children had a job; Oka was the 鈥渨ash director鈥� because she couldn鈥檛 iron as well as her older sister.

鈥淪he made you feel very responsible,鈥� Oka said. 鈥淚 had to wake up early in the morning and had to use the gas stove, light the pilot light, and cook the rice early in the morning. Can you imagine?

鈥淚 just watched until when the water disappeared from the rice, and I would just turn it down, and then I would disappear,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine people letting their child do that today.鈥�

Oka started going to school in Portland when she turned 5. Wong had attended school for only three years in China, but Oka said the other Chinese people in the neighborhood were impressed that her mother raised all of her kids by herself and had so much love for her customers.

鈥淪he always talked about going the extra mile,鈥� Oka said. 鈥淲hen workers brought in their slacks, knowing they were single men, she would fix what they wanted and then feel every button to see if it was tight and then strengthen every seam.鈥�

When Wong brought her children to church potlucks, Oka said, she would feed them all at home first so the children would only pick at the food at the church.

鈥淭hen people would say 鈥楳s. Wong, why don鈥檛 you take some of this food home?鈥� And she was so humble and proud. She said, 鈥楾hank you; we have plenty of food,鈥� 鈥� Oka said.

Wong operated the laundry until 1975, when the building caught fire. Someone poured kerosene down a laundry chute, Oka said. By then, her kids were grown, so she ended the laundry business and moved out.

Wong died in 1991, two months shy of her 100th birthday.

鈥淚鈥檓 so happy our kids were able to see her and know her,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone loved her, and she prospered.鈥�

The building has been repaired since the fire, but improvements 鈥� including a seismic upgrade 鈥� are needed a new tenant can move in, Oka said. The building hasn鈥檛 been occupied since the 1970s.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had many people come by the building, but I鈥檝e had so many memories with it, it鈥檚 hard for me to let it go,鈥� said Oka, who is writing about the legacy of her mother.

For details on purchasing this property, contact Oka at 503-261-9336.聽

Block by Block is a weekly look at commercial real estate around Portland. Send suggestions for properties to [email protected].