Lourdes V. Chua

Lourdes, 95 years old, was born in the small town of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, a province on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. She married Chua Hong Pue and had 8 children. Antonio, Herminia, Juanito, Rosita, Teresita, Jovita, Carmencita and Maria Lourdes.

Lourdes and her husband operated a wholesale rice business in their hometown, buying the grain in raw form from local farmers and reselling them to larger corporations. She continued to run this business until 1982, two years after the loss of her husband in 1980. Lourdes joined her daughters Teresita and Carmencita in Baytown, Texas.

Lourdes loved to cook and go to the casino. She was well known for making Ilocano dishes like pinakbet and pinapaitan. She enjoyed playing slots at Lauberg Dulac Casino. Her largest prize was $1200 just two weeks ago!

Lourdes also travelled on religious pilgrimages with her daughters and granddaughters. She visited her namesake in Lourdes, France, Fatima in Portugal, Medjugorje in Bosnia Herzegovina, and the birthplace of Pope John Paul II in Poland.

One of her favorite trips was a journey to Turkey in 2005 to attend the wedding of her granddaughter, Mildred – an impressive feat for an 88 year old! She marveled at the ancient sites in Istanbul, Ephesus, Cappadoccia and Ankara. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the town of Selcuk, Turkey. In 2010, at the age of 92, she visited the ancestral home of her husband in Xiamen, China, to attend family reunion accompanied by her daughter Teresita and granddaughter Antonina.

She is survived by five children, Herminia, Juanito (Desty), Teresita, Carmencita, and Maria Lourdes and 9 grandchildren (and their spouses); Cecile (Efren Closa), Leah (Benny Paquinto), June, Jennifer (Ramon Domingo), Antonina, and Michelle (Sergio Balmes); Mildred (Celal Ulger), Marie (Dexter Tee), and Manfreid (Sharon).

Lourdes is also survived by 11 great grandchildren; three from her granddaughter Cecile - Anthony, Ronald, Mia; three from her granddaughter Leah -, Soleil, Elaine, and Bea; two from her granddaughter Marie - Nathaniel and Jason; two from her grandson Manfreid - Catalina and Isabelle; and one from her granddaughter Michelle - Kim.