Fueled by her strong Christian faith, an optimistic, determined mindset, and an indomitable spirit, Jiin Yu Julia Hsiao tirelessly worked to create a beautiful life for her husband, her daughters, and her grandchildren and blessed all those around her with her hospitality and warmth.

An immigrant who moved to the United States from Taiwan at age 30 — and had to navigate her way in a new country using a new language — Julia beat back one challenge after another in an effort to build a good life for her family. She or her husband, Jimmy, would have an inspiration -- whether it was moving to America, creating a new Christian fellowship group, taking a meandering road trip with the kids, or buying a new house -- and she would find a way to make it happen successfully.

Julia went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at her home after a brave battle against multiple myeloma.

Born on October 3, 1947 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan to Fenfu Chern and Chuen Ling Lin Chern, Julia grew up in Kaohsiung. As the eldest child of four siblings and one with a strong maternal instinct, she helped to care for her younger siblings, even including sewing little dresses for her baby sister for fun. She graduated in 1969 with a bachelor of arts degree in Chinese literature from Tanchiang University in Taipei, Taiwan. After college, Julia taught Chinese literature to high school students at Gang San High School near Kaohsiung, where she also led a Bible study after school for students. Through a Christian fellowship of young professionals, Julia met her future husband, Jimmy, in Kaohsiung. Julia and Jimmy married on July 16, 1971.

Julia became a mother for the first time in 1973 with the birth of her daughter, Amy Chuan Yi. A second daughter, Katy Fon Yi, arrived in 1976.

Julia strove for a better life for her family. In 1978, she and her husband embarked on their biggest challenge yet: moving to the United States, where he completed a master's degree in chemical engineering at the University of Mississippi. The family then moved to Houston in 1980, where he worked as a chemical engineer.

While in Houston, Julia and Jimmy were deeply involved with Houston Chinese Church, and frequently hosted Christian fellowships at her home. She was most herself and most relaxed when she had people over at her house, enjoying a feast she had prepared.

Julia's hospitality would become a recurring theme in her life. Wherever God led her and Jimmy in life, they became deeply involved in their church communities and again and again opened up their homes to be a place of fellowship. Together they started three different Christian fellowships -- Joy Fellowship for young professionals, Renewal for empty nesters, and Riverside for young professionals --while attending Chinese Christian Fellowship Church in Wilmette, Illinois. She could bring together a large group of people and with a lot of food and the right atmosphere, she knew how to help everyone enjoy themselves.

Julia and her family moved to Skokie, Illinois in 1985. That same year, Julia began working as a financial assistant in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston. Harnessing a latent talent for finances and a knack for knowing how to make things balance out, she had taken night school courses while in Houston and completed a degree in accounting.

After 20 years in Northwestern's chemical engineering department, Julia shifted locations, taking a job in downtown Chicago as a financial assistant in the Galter Health Sciences Library at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in 2005. She retired from Northwestern in 2013.

A natural teacher, Julia was deeply involved in her daughters' education from an early age, encouraging them to always strive to do their best, instilling in them her determination and a conviction that no subject matter was too difficult to master, and taking them on frequent field trips and road trips to teach them about nature, science, history, and culture. She proudly watched Amy graduate with a materials science and engineering Bachelor of Science degree from MIT in 1996 and earn her PhD in 2002, and Katy graduate with a chemistry and physics Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard in 1998 and earn her MD in 2003. She also greatly enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, helping them learn new things, putting together puzzles and playing games with them and cooking for them. She was very proud of her grandchildren, whose pictures were found in every nook and cranny of her house.

Once their children had left the nest, Julia and Jimmy moved to Chicago's North Side for a time and then to the city's Southwest Side before settling in Naperville in 2005. At every stop, Julia loved spending time out in her garden, where she grew bumper crops of cucumbers, tomatoes, opo squash and other vegetables. Many years, she and Jimmy grew so many vegetables that she happily gifted them to family, friends, and anyone who could use them.

Julia also loved relaxing in her home in Naperville. It was there where she enjoyed reading books, teaching herself piano, gazing at photos of her family and even listening to music from artists as varied as Amy Grant and Journey.

Julia also had a real spirit of adventure when it came to traveling. She ventured far and wide, including sometimes on her own. Her trips included taking a multi-day road trip from Chicago to San Francisco with Jimmy and Katy to visit Amy, bringing her then new son-in-law Bob to Taiwan, visiting Amy in Paris and later Newfoundland, going on a European tour with Amy, taking an Alaskan cruise with Jimmy and most recently, in 2015, going with Jimmy on a cruise to Italy and Barcelona.

One of Julia's love languages was food. She was known for bringing food she'd cooked to any gathering, including each weekend when she and Jimmy would spend afternoons with their grandchildren. Sometimes she needed to take multiple trips from the car to the house to bring in all the food that she had cooked. She cooked by instinct, and didn't need recipes. She instilled in her daughters her love for cooking and her gift of hospitality. Her husband, Jimmy, fondly recollects, "She was the woman in Proverbs 31 in every way; we all have been so blessed by her love for and care of us."

Julia is survived by her husband, Chih Ming Jimmy; two daughters, Amy Hsiao (Nicholas Krouglicof) and Katy Hsiao Goldsborough (Robert); four grandchildren, Gretchen, Madeleine, Abigail and Robert Goldsborough; a sister, Jiin Huey Chern Lin; a brother, Yong Cheng Chern; and her mother, Chuen Ling Lin Chern. She was preceded in death by her father, Fenfu Chern; and her sister, Jiin Jen Chern.

A Memorial Dinner for will be held on Saturday, February 13th at 3:00 p.m. at Christ Covenant Church, 350 N. Addison Road, Villa Park, IL 60181. In honor of Julia there will be a slideshow, songs, poems, and other sharing over a catered buffet-style dinner at the church.

Interment was held at Wheaton Cemetery.