Iluminada “Lumen” Rosario Tolentino, was born in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, Philippines on November 29, 1927 to Jesus Rosario and Theodora Tolentino. She was the youngest of six children (five girls and one boy) and the last to join Our Lord. Her siblings, in order of birth, were Josefa, Maxima, Carmen, Paulino, and Constancia. Two of her siblings, Maxima and Paulino, died during WWII. Her parents, Jesus and Theodora, were dedicated and deeply religious people. The Catholic Church was a big part of their lives and therefore passed on their values to their children and grandchildren.
After WWII, Lumen continued and finished her secondary education at The Magsingal Institute (TMI) of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur.
Lumen, met Joaquin “Jack” Tolentino after the war when he moved to Magsingal, Ilocos Sur. They were married on May 23, 1956. They have four children, Evangeline, Catherine, Amelita, and Roque, aka "Rocky." While raising her young four children, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Education at Divine Word College in Vigan, sometimes attending weekend classes.
In 1968, Joaquin joined his father, Roque, Sr. here in the United States. The family followed him years later and reunited in 1981. Life in the United States was different from the Philippines. Therefore, Lumen decided to be a stay-at-home mom so her family members could go to work or attend school.
During the time Joaquin was still working, Lumen would spend her days and afternoons tending to their flower and vegetable gardens, cooking, or watching her favorite soap opera TV shows like All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. She would later compare notes with then Vangie’s late mother-in-law, Editha, after the shows were over. She also baby sat her grandchildren and watched them grow to be young teenagers and young adults. On Sunday afternoons, she and Evangeline, or "Vangie," would join the Fatima Prayer Group and pray with families hosting The Blessed Virgin Mary. Lumen was deeply religious and her Catholic Faith was very important to her. She also enjoyed traveling with the family whenever she could.
During her healthy years, she was also an active officer, adviser and member of the Magsingal Association of Northern California. Attendance and contributions, opinions and otherwise, to the quarterly meetings and annual family picnics were important to her as well!
In late 2013, she was diagnosed with stage 2 lung cancer. At first, she thought it was just a regular cold, coughing occasionally. But it lingered on, so her doctor sent her for more testing. Once determined she had cancer, her Oncologist placed her on treatment. Over the years, her cancer progressed and worsened, as all types of cancer do. During the years of 2018 and 2019, she was in and out of the hospital, quite frequently. In September 2019 after the Labor Day weekend, she was admitted for exhaustion, and she never went home. She was at Regional Hospital from September 6th through October 10th, in and out of ICU, then transferred to a nursing facility to recover. She never recovered and on January 18, 2020, she was rushed back to Regional Hospital, and left us on January 20, 2020, just pass midnight at 12.40am.
Lumen is survived by her four children, six grandchildren, and four great grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews in the United States, Canada, England and the Philippines. Her contribution to life and humanity was indeed PRICELESS, and she will surely be missed by many.
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