Ong C. Hing, born in 1893, immigrated to the United States in 1912. He landed first in San Francisco, then moved to Phoenix and finally in the small mining towns of Ray and Sonora — which no longer exist — southeast of Superior and started a restaurant. In 1920, he opened Spring Garden Market in Superior on Pinal Avenue. He later opened stores in Ray and Coolidge. In the late 1960s, Spring Garden Market was damaged by a fire, and the family later reopened the store at its present location on Main Street, changing the name to Save Money Market.
Annie Soo Hoo “Helen” was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1901, the same town the 46th U.S. president Joe Biden was born. Helen returned to China in 1903 with her family to assist in the care of her ailing grandmother. In March, 1921, she met and married Ong C. Hing. Ong C. left his new bride in China for three years while he completed the first home built by an Asian American in Arizona. It was located adjacent to the business. In 1925 their first child was born in Superior, Arizona. In 1924, Helen arrived in San Francisco and stayed on Angel Island for several months before continuing on to Arizona. Read about her experience on Angel Island as written by her son, Bill Ong Hing, https://www.scribd.com/document/2926489/No-Place-for-Angels-by-Bill-Ong-Hing.
In 1930 Ong C. and Helen took their four children to China to care for Helen’s ailing mother.
In 1937 when the war with Japan began, Ong C. and Helen, now with five children, brought the family back to Arizona. Ong C. was a firm believer in education and his children often recalled his quote, “Confucius said education is the equalizer of all. It knows no distinction in class. If I give you money you would spend it, so I am going to give you an education that is going to last for life.” Their parents worked and sacrificed so this would become possible and eventually all ten children in the Hing family earned degrees in various fields.