Ursula Ramos - Memorial Service

Reflections
A Tribute to My Mom
Ursula
During mass at the Mission Church At SCU

Hi, I'm Marta. I would like to say thanks to my Mom for several things:

Chronologically, I'd like to first thank you for making me feel like such a queen on my First Holy Communion day. I still have the prayer book and the dress, and recently you told me that the hand drawn lace work was done by King City Grandma, and that the dress was designed and sewn by Dolores Mitoso, one of your friends. It was in 1957, five months after Dad died. I have the photo, my hair is probably two inches long, and they probably threatened me with a pounding if I did not sit still. I remember being quite a tomboy.

Thanks for all the camping trips. Pinecrest! We live about 30 minutes from there, now. We went almost every year as a kid. And thanks for buying an Edsel. Every time I tell someone we owned an Edsel, they laugh. I will never forget the time on our way camping; you were driving the Edsel, and pulling into a gas station while looking at a dog. You hit the gas tank, but were going so slow; it only rocked back and forth a few feet.
Good thing.

Thank you for walking me down the aisle at my wedding. You were always my mother and my father.

Thank you for taking German language lessons with Marge the semester after our first journey to live in Germany. It made both Chris and I feel your support of our decision.
And thanks for bringing enchiladas in your suitcase for us, when you visited.

Thanks for traveling with us, all over Europe. I will never forget waving goodbye to you in the Amsterdam Train Station, you in your backpack, heading alone to the 100th celebration of the Passion Play in Oberammergau, at the age of 70. What a role model, once you got lost, and you told me you just sat down on the bench on the train track, said a prayer, and a few minutes later, a lady comes by, asks you to join her, I think she was Catholic, and she took you home. Mom had incredible faith in the Power of Prayer.
Or, Mom, is that just the definition of NO FEAR?

Thanks for going to China with us in 2001 and saying it was OK for you and I to skip the Circus cuz we were so tired ! !

Thanks for visiting us in Sugar Pine so often. The last time being August last year. We went to Kennedy Meadows, and on the way back you wanted to hike at the Donnells overlook. We were at 6,000 feet, the trail is paved, but littered with possible slippery debris, and the temperature was probably 90 degrees. I knew better than to ever argue with my Mom. So went about a quarter mile down, and I found a rock in the shade. We rested, and Mom agreed to return to the car.
NO FEAR? Or DON T TELL ME I'm 93 ! !

Thanks for being soooo stylish Mom, that my daughter LOVES your clothes. And thanks for taking Julie to Dubrovnik as a seventh grader, to see something in a tree in Mediguria. I am not sure Julie saw anything, but she had quite an experience. Thanks for taking Julie with you to visit Leo in Tokyo in 1992. I remember packing some snickers candy bars, at Barbara's suggestion.
Julie tells me you liked them better than sushi.
You were a great role model, Mom.

You taught us how to live, you taught us how to die. I can only hope to be a small portion of the role model you have been.
Thank you for all the lessons, you were my BEST teacher. You will always live in my heart.

[ Marta Kinder ]