A native of Cavinti, Cion was the third of four children who survived childbirth. Having lost her mother at age 5, she was raised mostly by her beloved grandmother, Banang. She went to high school in Santa Cruz and then on to college and some graduate courses in Manila.
Sometime after WWII, she began her professional career as an educator in her hometown. She married Jorge, also of Cavinti, and they had one child. Just as they were beginning their life together, her husband died. A month later, her beloved brother, Seyong, who had helped her cope with the pain, also passed away. Once again, her grandmother came to her aid, but this time it was to help care for Cion’s child.
In the 1960’s, she immigrated to America by herself and continued her career in her new country. In her new hometown in America, she was one of four Filipinos who were written about in the local newspaper for being pioneers in the region. She also continued with her graduate education in her new country. She worked to provide for her teenage daughter who joined her 10 months later.
In addition to her income working as a professional, Cion was also more than able to provide by being an excellent steward of the resources with which she was blessed. She continued to do both in order to provide for her daughter, and later, her American-born grandchild.
After having raised her daughter on her own as a widow, she essentially became a mother for a second time when she raised her grandchild while her daughter was busy working away from home. In her 50’s she juggled working full-time, maintaining a household, and raising a young grandchild. When her then divorced daughter’s job required a transfer to another state, Cion decided to retire so that the three of them could move together.
Retirement was not easy as she continued to sacrifice her own interests for the sake of her family. She carried on as a good steward of her finances while attending to the needs of her family. Until the very end, Cion worried more about the futures of her grown child and grandchild rather than her own happiness.
One interest that she did allow herself to enjoy was traveling. She went once more to Europe during retirement; she had gone previously in the mid-1970’s. She also went on cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada and Alaska.
In her last two decades, she had overcome open heart surgery and much more recently, a life-threatening stroke, the latter of which affected her speech. However, she had a better recollection than some folk younger than her and would take regular strolls for exercise.
Immediately prior to her last hospitalization, she was doing well. She had just overcome a heart arrhythmia through drug therapy alone, and her health was on the upswing.
A fainting spell was the reason for her final hospitalization. She was on a medication to prevent her arrhythmia from reoccurring, but it would also cause her heart rate to drop. And when the rate dropped down past a certain number, her blood pressure would become insufficient, and she would faint. The solution was to have a pacemaker implanted, which is considered a routine matter. It is so simple that general anesthesia is not even required. In fact, the chance of complications is very low. That is the reason why it was so shocking and devastating when she passed away unexpectedly during the procedure. What makes her passing even more tragic is that she had survived major surgeries that were exponentially more difficult than the placement of a pacemaker.
Circumstances created a situation surrounding the funeral arrangements that was indefinite. Because of certain issues, the family was unsure of exactly when her remains would be released by the hospital.
Events transpired quickly and unfortunately, there was much uncertainty throughout the whole ordeal. The mortuary received her remains on Palm Sunday. The following two days, the staff prepared the remains. The family adhered to the Catholic tradition which culminated with a mass on Wednesday.
The funeral was planned to incorporate her favorites. Surrounded by both her favorite color and flower, the floral arrangements were packed full of lavender roses. The family chose a silver metal casket because Cion‘s first choice was silver when it came to picking the color of a vehicle. The location was a beautiful church on a lake, which she had been visiting on and off for decades. Also, it is safe to say that everyone was moved by the organist’s and cantor’s rendition of Ave Maria.
It is important to note that as late as the day of the funeral mass, it was unclear as to when the burial would take place. The mortuary staff had prepared the family that unless specific paperwork was processed, the burial would be delayed until after the Tridium and Easter. In that case, her remains would be taken from the church after mass and returned to the mortuary until the following week. Family who had traveled from other states would then be forced to return home without having attended the burial.
Due to the whole uncertainty of the situation, only family members were informed of the funeral arrangements. Aside from her daughter and grown grandchild, attendees included her two surviving siblings and a surviving brother of her deceased husband. They were her older sister Virgin; younger sister Fannie and her husband Baring; and brother-in-law Cesar and his wife Clarita. Also in attendance were members of their respective families.
Thankfully, the family received a blessing. During the funeral mass, one of the funeral directors relayed to the family that the paperwork had finally gone through, and that the burial could occur afterwards. Everyone was relieved that there would not be a delay. Her remains were then interred in the Our Lady of Antipolo section of the cemetery.
Cion was a humble spirit who always sought the truth. She valued privacy and respected the privacy of others by avoiding idle gossip. After the stroke affected her speech, she retreated from socializing for fear that others may not be patient with her. Although she was always spiritual, her retreat caused her to become even more so.
It is comforting to know that her friends did not forget her. Mrs. Lucila Oblena wrote, “She was one of the kindest persons you would ever meet. Her wonderful smile could light up a room.”
There is one consolation to which the family clings during this time of loss. But first, it is important to recall the family’s mindset on Cion’s last day. At the time, they only knew that Cion was going in for a routine matter and would be recuperating in the recovery room in no time at all. In fact, the daughter had not been by that morning but was in a rush to wish her mother good luck before the start of the procedure. At the very least, she would see Cion in the recovery room. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The one consolation is that the daughter had requested a priest to administer the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. She did so in order for her mother to recover. She had no idea that the sacrament would act to forgive Cion’s sins before her passing. Cion’s grown grandchild was present to witness the sacrament being administered. Although Cion was heavily medicated at the time, she made the sign of the cross when the priest began his prayers.
Cion was always appreciative of everyone and everything she had been blessed with in life. Even in the most trying of circumstances, she always gave thanks to God. Although she spent half her life in America, she never forgot her hometown’s devotion to El Salvador. And her remains are interred in a section of the cemetery that shares its name with the church she visited before leaving for America many decades ago.
She was preceded by her husband Jorge Mesina. And she is survived by her daughter and grown grandchild, whom she affectionately called Nene and Totoy.
She took a piece of her loved ones with her when she passed away.
My family joins me in sending profound and sincerest sympathy and in offering prayers for the repose of the soul of Ate Cion. Beside being a cousin, I had the privillege of being her student in Grade 1, though regretably she did not finish the school year when she got married and moved to Manila to start a family and to redirect her teaching career towards a new horizon. At an early age, she impressed upon me her endearing pesonality… a good and affectionate teacher, quiet yet with charming smiles. Ate Cion died as she lived…simply and quietly. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE.