Josefa Yatco Quisol

Josefa Yatco Quisol, our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, and friend was born on February 19, 1929 to Conselacion Carino and Rodrigo Yatco in Manila, Philippines. She attended Bonifacio Elementary school. At a young age, she started showing her feisty and independent spirit. My grandfather said that Josefa would wrap her coins in her handkerchief tightly and have that in hand when she goes to the playground, ready to sling it at anyone who bullies her.

She attended Arellano High School, the same high school that my father Roman attended. They were high school sweethearts. She was selected as Queen of the graduating class of 1947.

After high school, while working her way through college, she attended Far Eastern University and earned her degree in Library Science.

After a long courtship, Josefa and Roman married on Oct.11, 1952.

They started their life and family in Manila, Philippines, where six of their children were born: me, Virgilio, Regina, Roman III, Felicidad, and Mercedita. Josefa continued to work as a school librarian, while raising 6 children.

In 1964, 4 months after Mercedita was born, Josefa, Roman, and their children boarded the US President Wilson and sailed to the US. Knowing that funds will be limited at first to purchase supplies, and people were allowed to bring a lot of stuff on the ocean liner, Josefa packed items that would be needed in their new home. She packed clothes, shoes, dishes, mortar and pestle, and clothes hangers. Sure enough, we needed all those things.

After 20 long days at sea, the family reached the port of San Francisco, and settled in San Jose, California where the seventh child, Helena was born.

During the first few years in San Jose, Josefa showed her resourcefulness. Having to feed and clothe a family of 9 on limited funds, Josefa worked part-time as an aid in the Fremont Union School District in Sunnyvale because she was not a US citizen yet and could not apply for the full-time jobs. She also became an Avon Lady, selling Avon products around the neighborhood. My sisters and I would wait for the orders to arrive and we would help her bag up each customer’s order. She found ways to prepare inexpensive cuts of meat, sewed clothes from remnants that were on sale, purchased items during blue-light specials, and took us to the local shopping mall for our weekly entertainment (just to get out of the house). For our birthdays, she would make our birthday cakes, frosting it with buttercream icing and decorating it with royal icing roses that cascade down the layers.

Even though she was a busy lady, she had time to meet new friends and develop new acquaintances. One year, she was recruited to help train the Peace Corp volunteers who were headed for the Philippines.

As soon as she became a US citizen, Josefa worked as school librarian at Lee Matheson Middle School, then later at Piedmont Middle School, both are in San Jose. She retired from Piedmont Middle School in 1989.

She and my dad did some travelling for a while at the start of their retirement. They loved going to Hawaii and saw the sights of England, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, just to name a few countries. After their travels, she and my dad devoted themselves to taking care of their grandchildren while the parents went to work. Josefa collected a lot of fabric and yarn so she would have material to sew clothes and knit sweaters and baby blankets for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She left us with over 20 bins of fabric and 10 bins of yarn.

She instilled in her grandchildren the value of education. She made some of them promise not to get married or have a family until they completed their degrees.

She became a 49er fan after her retirement. She would watch the televised game while sitting in her lounge chair, and knitting a sweater or crocheting an afghan for one of her grandchildren. We hear her yelling at the TV if the 49ers make bad plays.

She also loved to keep up with the lives of the British Royalty, especially of Princess Diana, while Diana was alive, and lately of William and Kate.

She continued to keep in touch with friends and family all over the world. She gets great pleasure in chatting with her friends and family in Canada, those in New Jersey, and her nieces and nephews in Texas. She took time to reach out to people who need help, giving them as much help as she is able to. But the time that she cherished the most is the time when her grandchildren would come and spend time with her.

Josefa was the rock and matriarch of our family. She was very generous with her time, money, and advice to help those who in need. It seems strange that she is no longer around to call on, but the memories we have of her will remain forever in our hearts.