Powered by Blogger.
RSS

Tombstone Tuesday Remembering Our Ancestors This All Saint's Day



When I visited our town cemetery together with my two boys for clean-up, I knew these tombstones are something to blog about.. so here I am on my entry for Tombstone Tuesday. In the Philippines we use marble tombstones called lapida in the local dialect.


My grandfather Roberto Cortez De Guzman (Born: June 6,1899 - Died: December 1,1983) He lived up to his 84th year of old age. My grandfather and grandmother's ashes were put together, as is the Pinoy custom, in one grave. My grandmother Felicidad De Vera De Guzman (Born: July 24,1905 - Died: February 19,1960) She died from complications due to a bout of asthma. During the rural folk ages, doctors were a rarity in our town that perhaps contributed to her early demise when my mother and her siblings were still in college in Manila.

 

My Aunt Justina De Vera De Guzman (Born September 26,1934 - Died: May 19, 1960) Aunt Nena, as she was fondly called, was two years older than my  mom. She died of heart complications about the time she was working right after college. I recall my other aunts said she had a suitor/boyfriend who was very despondent when she died.

On the same grave is my older cousin whom I've never met Francis G. Paraan (Born: October 18, 1964 - Died: February 18, 1965) He was the brother between my Big Sister/ Cousin Ate Edith and Kuya Rey. Folks said that when he died, the then young Ate Edith cried so much at his funeral that people cried more for her sadness. She wished for another sibling and was blessed with the birth of Kuya Rey

On the same grave is my nephew Gian Carlo Viloria Paraan, son of Kuya Rey and Ate Mimie (Born: March 21,1988 - Died: March 22, 1988) He died from neonatal complications. Faye and I were there when we visited him at the hospital, which was also the same day we took him home together with Ate Mimie's folks.




This is my mom's tombstone: Juana De Guzman Buelchmann (Born: June 12, 1936 - Died: April 13, 1991) (Juane De Guzman Bülchmann) She died from cancer complications. I was only 19 years old then.





Find more at http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/findfamily.php?name=Bulchmann http://www.findagrave.com/
Lapida Maker

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Recent Visitors

Website Online Counter
Presenting "A Day In Life" my series of texts from my journals that I kept between the ages of 14 and 17. I'll be adding new entries every now and then to share all my thoughts, ideas,events, experiences, memories, ideas I had during the eighties. It is for my continued amusement that I read and reread my old journals, even when there isn't much content, I still gain occasional insight how I'm still in the process of changing to maturity. Most of the names have been changed to protect the people I recently found on Facebook. A few are just partial entries, my bleeping and blinding exclamations have been removed and some entries have been modified to give way to my now correct spelling and grammar. Yet the mix of excitement, melodrama and pleasant memories from the eighties are still much felt :)I hope, as you read my old journal with me, you enjoy the same sentiments.