VIRGINIA GUERRERO ROCHA HAS GONE TO HEAVEN

Domingo and Virginia Rocha

Me, my ex and his beautiful mama

On Friday, January 13, 2012, my ex-mother-in-law died.  She was 92 years of age.  I am writing this in memory of her and besides that, she was my children's grandmother.

I first laid eyes on her in 1966.  Such a beautiful tall woman with such a pretty face. She welcomed me into her home with a big hug.  I was so scared at that time of my life because my ex and I had ran away to get married.  I was too young.  Only 16 years of age and needed my parents consent.  On the day I met Virginia she had just come home from working out in the cotton fields of Corcoran, California. She toiled out in the hot sun to help with the household income.  I could not ask for a nicer mother-in-law.  She was so nice and kind.  She endured many many years of abuse by her husband and still kept her family together.  I began to learn how to cook authentic Mexican meals and how to make tamales and make home made chorizo, etc. She taught me how to make meals to feed a big family.  I loved learning from her because she had alot of patience with me.  I was young and in so much in love with her son and I wanted him to experience the same kind of cooking from me as he did growing up but I never measured up to her. She was like a Betty Crocker.  As years passed and we began to visit her every Friday night we developed a very close relationship.  I loved her so much.  She was one of a kind.  We had fun doing the simplest things like just driving around town and laughing about silly things.  We would play mexican music and dance and sing to Vicente Fernandez, etc in her living room.  We went to the Fresno Fair because she wanted to see Freddie Fender and I made sure her dream came true.  We got front row seating and she never forgot it.  We went to Disneyland and Magic Mountain and got on some of the rides together and had so much fun.  We celebrated birthdays, holidays and all kinds of events together.  We were like mother and daughter.  I remember one time I had a party for my son who was turning one year of age.  Well, I forgot the pinata.  When I arrived at her house she had made one.  I could not believe my eyes as I discovered it on her table.  I asked her how she made it.  She smiled and made it sound like it was no big deal.  To me it was.  That's the kind of woman she was.  She was all that I wanted to be when I reached her age.  I admired her for being strong and putting her family as the number one in her life.  She loved all her children and her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

After I was divorced from her son I still loved her more than anything.  I would visit her and as years went by we lost touch and I focused on my own family.  I would run into her sometimes and in an instant I was in love with her all over again.  We hugged and caught up on things in our lives. 

I know in my heart that one day I will see her again.  She will be with my Jeannette. 
May She rest in Peace.