Heart Of The 80s

The hiatus between October 31st to November 2nd is almost always a family reunion during the 80s. Folks from Manila, Tuguegarao and La Union would all visit our  hometown to pay respects to our departed relatives by offering prayers, as is the Catholic tradition.

I've had precious memories from these visits, being in the ancestral house that my grandfather resided. Folks would take me with them, not only to visit the graves in the cemetery, but more to go around town to visit other relatives in nearby towns. An added plus is staying at our uncles' San Fabian resthouse eby the popularly known Holiday Resort! There were plenty of us families there, I imagine the house with 4 rooms so cramped that some of us had to sleep by the living room / terrace. But the days were so much fun playing boardgames, going to the beach, exchanging knock-knock jokes and getting to know our cousins more!



For a long while since 1983, when our grandfather Roberto De Guzman passed away, it was only me and my Big Sister Cousin Edith  who would visit their graves at the cemetery. The practice was solemn then and we would pass by the Catholic church in the afternoon to offer prayers first before going to the cemetery. At the cemetery we would keep vigil until the sun sets, just exchanging family stories and the latest. I miss that too.

Yes, I miss those times and wish we could have a repeat of those for the next generation (read: my young boys) but then all my relatives are now settled in the US and Australia for good, that I miss their huge crowd sometimes. Yes, I'm the only immediate relative left here in the Philippines, so you could imagine the quietness of the occasion for my family now. And I've also changed with traditions during All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day as we don't celebrate nor participate in it now, except with the clean-up of the grave sites since we converted to Christian faith.

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