Matilde Ceniza Comeros

Matilde Ceniza comeros was born on January 24, 1922 to Faustino Ceniza and Dominga Cinco. She was the eldest of seven siblings : Jesus, Modesto, Emiliano, Dulcesima, Conchita and Milagros. All of her siblings have preceded her in death except Conchita. She was born and raised in Ibabao, Mandaue City and lived in the same house and neighborhood with all her siblings and relatives.

Matilde was a merchant, engaged in buy and sell, mostly tobacco products with her sister, Dulcesima. They went to public markets on Sunday and Monday to sell their wares. When Dulcesima opened a stall in Mandaue Public market, they settled on having the goods in one place and sold other products as well.

During her travels buying tobacco, she met the love of her life, Agustin Comeros, (Tatay Osting). Tatay Osting’s mother ( Nanay Amyot) was one of Nanay’s customers. They married after a whirlwind courtship on June 2, 1957. Nanay Tilde is ten years older than Tatay Osting, who at the time of their marriage was only 25 years old. The marriage produced three children: two buys and one girl: Algier, Resurrecion (Riche ) and Zenith. Nanay and Tatay had six grandkids: Algier and Virginia (Honeylet, Mirasol and Genesis) Zenith and Cielo (China Jean) and Riel and Riche (Alexis and Jan). Nanay Tilde had the privilege of having three great grandkids: Mirasol (Samantha) Alexis and Tom (Myka and Owen (Alexis and Tom)

Tatay Osting hailed from the province and had been a lifelong farmer, planting tobacco, corn, peanuts, mango, camote, and okra, actually anything that could live on soil. During harvest season, the house became a warehouse overflowing with mangoes, peanuts and corn. Theirs was the perfect partnership: Tatay Osting, a farmer and Nanay, selling the goods of the land.

Nanay and Tatay worked hard to make sure all three all children received the best education. Algier, although had not completed a college degree followed in Nanay footsteps – a merchant, also engaging in buy and sell. Resurrecion completed a medical degree, practicing as family physician until she migrated to the USA and practiced as registered nurse. Zenith, the youngest, completed an Accounting degree but also mastered the art of buy and sell, inherited from my mother.

Unfortunately, Tatay Osting passed away at a young age of 54 years old, after succumbing to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nanay never slowed down, still went to the market every day, rain or shine, and helped took care of Riche’s kids, Alexis and Jan, whose father, Riel was in the USA.

Nanay Tilde arrived in the USA in 2000 and although never liked being in the USA at first, had embraced the American life. She attended Adult day care, enjoyed traveling, played bingo, babysat for the Del Castillo kids and loved going to the swap meets. The swap meet must have reminded her of her days of buy and sell. She helped raised her grandkids, Alexis and Jan, making their favorite adobo, champorado and for Riel, his pinakbet and inun-unan.

Nanay was found to have hypertension and renal failure later ensued, eventually causing her to be in and out of hospitals. Nanay had so many close encounters with the big D – but she always won. She eventually had to be in nursing facility as her condition needed more monitoring. She had won the hearts of the staff at the facility, with her bright smile, ebullience and attitude. She loved bingo and talking with everyone.

As Nanay declined, she had lost her appetite, but never her smile for everybody. She met Owen, the newest addition to the growing family of Alexis and Tom born April 29, 2015 thru FaceTime and after two days, when everything has been taken cared for, she passed away in her sleep on May 4, 2015. Incidentally, May 4, 2015 is the birthday of our beloved Tatay Osting.

We love you my beloved Nanay Tilde and as cliché it may sound, you are in the best place to be, where there is no suffering and pain and bingo is 24/7. Am sure Tatay Osting, Zenith and your siblings are jumping up and down as they welcome you.

Till we meet again, my MADER dear. We love you.