Tessie Maria Kellogg

Oh, my beloved, Auntie Tessie. I have a number of great memories of your love and life and how it intersected with my own. But the most precious one to me are the nights that my dad, Joe, spent in cardiac ICU in the early 1990’s at St. Mary Corwin Hospital. I would not leave the area and so Aunt Tessie and Aunt Helen would not leave my site and stayed overnight with me at the hospital. What you don’t know is that the 3 of us slept on the floor of ICU with only pillows for our heads and we took turns going to see my dad on the hour when they allowed visitors though the night. We talked and talked and talked through out the night. It was like an adult sleep over. ( Okay, it was mostly me and Aunt Helen talking, since we know that Aunt Tessie was the quit one, compared to Aunt Helen and me.) They were my support system and there for their brother. We were determined that my dad would not pass alone. We were lucky that we had each other and that my dad came through this bad time. But for me there kindness and support have stayed with me since then.
My Auntie had a gift of baking and she made all our event cakes through out my life and that of my sons too. The most spectacular had to the wedding cake to feed hundreds of people, but before that were the wedding shower cakes that stood up like a bride. Later, it was the cake for the twins baptism cakes and communion cakes. Later is was the cakes for my boys for their birthday. I always got 2 cakes for the twins since I didn’t think they should have to share a cake just because they share a birthday. I let them pick out what characters they wanted, but at some point it became a running joke because Mikie decided he loved the Superman Cake so much that he picked in year after year after year and it always had to be chocolate all those years too.
My Auntie’s were my first role models in kindness and caring for your children and family. Family was first for her. She was always the quit one, but you knew she was there for you in anything you could need. Auntie took over my poodles when I went through a divorce and couldn’t handle them all. And of, course, she did it with her usual love and not only took care of them, but Shangul she gave anti-seizure medications to prolong his life and that same “mater of fact” kindness is what I will always hold in the highest esteem in my memories of my Aunt Tessie.
Aunt Tessie and Grandma Pacheco and Auntie Peggy and Auntie Helen also were the ones who had the biggest baby shower I ever saw at Guadalupe Church for my sons birth. Not only did they do all the cooking, cleaning, invitations and work, but they invited all the women from their church clubs who all showed up with TWO presents each for the boys.
They were always kind to me and my brother after my parents were divorced. They never divorced from us and they were always there for us and made sure that we stayed a part of the Pacheco family. I know that she is now in heaven back with her mom and dad and the three sisters are now like were on earth, three wonderful spirits looking out for the Pacheco clan. (And yes, Uncle Gene and Uncle Gilbert are getting “mothered” by them all.)
I for one feel safer knowing that they are out there looking down on me in my journey called life.
I love you Auntie and look forward to the day that we see each other again on the other side!!!
Christine Pacheco-Koveleski

Rhonda,
I’m very sorry about the loss of your Mom. She was a great lady! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

With Love,
John