Petra Acob Espiritu, 93, of Oxnard, CA, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Born in Batangas, Philippines, in 1926, she was the second child and last surviving member of five children born to Urbano Acob and Faustina Lontok.
Petra grew up in a farming community and bore her first child in 1943 – the height of WWII in the Philippines - where Batangas was under Japanese occupation. During this time, she and her family hid in the mountains where she bore a second child and foraged to survive until Batangas was liberated in April 1945.
Petra had nine children with Andres Espiritu in her lifetime. Through her determination, perseverance, and devout Catholic faith, she was able to raise the eight surviving sons as a solo parent doing jobs such as washing clothes in the river, plowing fields, embroidery, baking, and retailing.
In 1978, she immigrated to the United States through her first son who had joined the United States Navy and was stationed in Lemoore, CA. Already a grandmother at this time, she started a new chapter in life where she had a shared goal with her first son to welcome all her sons to a prosperous life in the US. Continuing her ethic of industriousness, she worked in a tomato cannery and cleaned rooms in a hotel before settling into her golden years by rearing her grandchildren and delighting them with tasty lumpia and lots of love.
Petra will be remembered for her graciousness, kindness and generosity. Because of her high sense of respect for others, she was oftentimes an objective observer who would rather contribute her sentiments in private thereby upholding a person’s dignity and dispelling conflict.
She was the Matriarch of the Espiritu Family in the United States and is survived by her sons, Toribio, Pacifico, Illuminado, Ireneo, Ruperto, Jaime, Juanito, and Nunilon, their respective wives, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
A funeral service for Petra will be held Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM at Funeraria Del Angel Oxnard, 401 West Channel Islands Blvd, Oxnard, CA 93033. A rosary service will occur Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, 401 West Channel Islands Blvd, Oxnard, CA 93033. A cremation will occur Friday, June 14, 2019 at 12:00 AM.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Funerariadelangeloxnard.com for the ESPIRITU family.
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