Juanita Drusilla Rose

Sad to announce the passing of my mom, Juanita Drusilla Rose. Mom was born at home on or near S. 35th street in San Jose, CA on October 31, 1925 to Lucy Adeline Bernal Guerrero and William Edison Howe making her the 5th generation of “Rancho Canada de Paya” Bernals born in California from 1829 to 1925.

She grew up with many family members and relatives in the same neighborhood as was the custom in the 20’s & 30’s in San Jose. She chose her own nick name of “Tita” when as a toddler she was unable to say Juanita. Mom was an only child who grew up with her cousins, Lawrence Chaboya, Gloria, Micky, and Gene Bernal. They became her best friends (BFF’s) and were as close to her as brothers and sisters. They played favorite games of the day like hop scotch, jump rope, jacks, hide and seek and roller-skating.

She and Gloria Loved going to the movies and made scrap books of their favorite 8x10 photos or pictures, cut out of magazines. This began mom’s lifelong hobby, spending many pleasant hours working in her photo albums with pictures of family and friends, dating from the early 1900’s through 2020!! Pasting pictures, newspaper articles, funeral programs, prayer cards, birth and death announcements into scrapbooks. She even had a (hair) scrapbook with a clip of hair from relatives and friends!! Mom was thrilled to share her collection with everyone from the smallest grandchild to the oldest cousin.

She attended “Selma Olinder Elementary” that was originally named “Hawthorne school” and was across the street from her home on 23rd street. Mom’s principle, Selma Olinder, was beloved by all her students and on her passing Hawthorne was renamed after her. She attended Roosevelt Junior High and graduated from Notre Dame High School in San Jose, class of 1944. Mom’s baptism, first communion, catechism and confirmation took place at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and Five Wounds Catholic church on Santa Clara Street.

Being born on Halloween, her birthday parties and decorations always included costumes, pumpkins, and black cats. Her dad Bill Howe made her two black cats on poster board the day she was born. Mom puts these two cats up every year for Halloween, including this year and are 95 years old.

Even though her parents’ marriage fell on rocky times her mom found the love of her life, Tom Moore. Mom was now blessed with two fathers the 1st choosing to live two doors down and was included in all of her life events, parties, and holiday celebrations.

Moms’ second passion was music and dancing – from her late teens up until her legs weren’t able to keep up with the rigorous dances, like the jitterbug, fox trot, two step, Charleston, be-bop, mashed potatoes, pony and her favorite ‘the stroll’. She watched American bandstand with Dick Clark religiously every day at 3pm. Learning the current dances and then teaching them to me and my sisters.

Mom’s teens and early 20’s were during WWII: a very exciting though scary time in America. It was the custom to open the dance halls to the service men, most of whom were home sick and lonesome. The parents served donuts and the daughters came to dance. Mom was very pretty and was courted by many service men in the army, navy and air force, one being my father, Neil L. Mitchell, of Portland Oregon and Salinas, CA. When my dad returned from his two years in the pacific, he asked for her hand in marriage. Feb 14, 1946 they wed at St. Patrick’s church. The little house on 23rd was filled with yellow roses, laughter, love and lots and lots of food. They would live their first 6 months of marriage there with her parents.

I was the first daughter born, Cathy Louise Mitchell on July 15, 1947. There were so many babies being born after the war, that all the mother’s in labor were lined up in the halls of the hospital waiting to deliver. She named me Cathy after the heroine in her favorite book and movie “Wuthering Heights”. 6 months Dad bought their first home on Margaret street.

My sister, Lynette Marie Mitchell, was born on Thanksgiving day November 24, 1948. As was the custom, my dad dropped my mom off in front of the San Jose hospital, while he joined a houseful of family and friends on 23rd street feasting on Turkey dinner. All the while, mom was in labor, bringing Lynette into the world.

Mom had daughter 3, Susan Cecila Mitchell on April 29, 1950. She went into labor while downtown at the movies with her cousin Gloria, their favorite past time.

She was a very busy and organized home maker with a clean house and three girls close in age, not an easy task. She helped us play paper dolls, dress up from a huge trunk of clothes, coloring, and then of course baby dolls and Barbie’s. During summer break, she had us come in from outside to do one hour of school work (math, spelling and reading) to keep our skills up. Mom loved Elvis and when we got our first TV in 1956 she let us stay up late to watch him perform on the Ed Sullivan show. She listened to soap operas on the radio as well as enjoyed country music, rock and roll as she did her housework and ironing.

Mom and Dad were a great example of opposites attracting to each other. Mom liked to dance, be social visit family and friends, while Dad loved the great outdoors, fishing, boating and camping at every opportunity. She was afraid of the water and her idea of fun was not chasing three little girls around a campground out in the wilderness. Although they parted for good after many attempts to keep the family under one roof, they remained friends the rest of their lives. Mom welcomed my dad’s new wife, Dorothy and their son Drew into her home, so that we girls could see our dad once a week to see our dad once a week for a family dinner.

She had to learn to drive and get a full time job to support us three girls. She worked at Alex, a big box store, the dry cleaners and the clothing department. She soon rekindled her love of dancing going out with her two bff’s, Loraine and Jo to Cowtown, Coral Club and the Redbarn. Raising three teenage girls was not easy.

After I married, my husband Bob set up a blind date for my mom with his widowed Uncle Jim Rose. Jim fell head over heels with mom showing up with flowers and candy on the 1st date. They tied the knot August 15, 1975 in Reno, Nevada and Jim surprised mom with a family reception up in Sierra City, the old house, later known as Tita’s Hideaway, would become their ‘happy place’ for many years to come.

Family was most important to mother. She learned this from her mom, always taking in a family member that was falling on hard times, providing a roof, hot meal, or a bed, love and a listening ear or should to cry on. Jim had two sons, John and George. George lived with them for a while but John was married, in the navy and had several children. Mom kept contact with the boys and their children on birthdays and holidays as long as she was able. Jim’s family now became part of our family.

Mom went to help her father, William Howe, known to our family as “Papa Bank” 3 days a week to shop for his 22 cats and 2 dogs, always home in time to put husband Jim’s dinner on the table at 5pm sharp. Mom lost her dad on April 15, 1986. After Papa Tom passed away, Jim had mom move Grandma Lucy into their home where she lived until she passed away July 12, 1993. Mom lost Jim in November 10, 1982 after caring for him at home for several months with a fatal liver disease.

As the years passed, mom was given 13 GREAT grandchildren. (Kenny, Danny and Emily from Keith / John Jr. and Ashley from John / Randall and Taylor from Debbie / Kloey and Cecil from Bow / Austin and Madison from Bobbie / Jarrett and Blake from Bonnie.) There were many grandchildren and GREAT grandchildren from Jim’s boys, but I am not as good at keeping track of all of them.

As you can see, Mom led a very full active life, enduring many hard times which only seemed to make her stronger. The recent months of Covid-19 quarantines and lockdowns were very difficult for mom, who lived for her family and friends, holiday gatherings and family dinners. I know it contributed to her declining health.

Losing my sisters, Susan first April 1, 2003 and then Lynette a year later August 17, 2004, was probably the hardest thing she ever had to go through. She didn’t give up but only became more kind and generous, overlooking faults and forgiving everyone for their short comings or poor choices. I only hope to end my time here on earth – half the saint, my mom surely was.

Virtual Funeral services will be held via Facebook Livestream at the Oak Hill Facebook Page on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 1:30pm-2:30pm PT. The livestream will be public on Facebook.

Sometime in 2021 our family will organize a Celebration of Life, once it is safe to gather and the weather is nice.

*In lieu of sending flowers, please consider a small donation to either an animal shelter (pet rescue) or to feed the poor. This would make mom so happy. *