Farewell Lourdes
By Susan Palmes-Dennis Rockingham, North Carolina—A lot of hearts were broken at the sudden demise of Lourdes Bitualla of Rock Hill, South Carolina last January 18. I met Lourdes at Elsa’s Sari-Sari Store many years ago. I can still remember that she was with Ghing Voght at that time. I was interviewing Elsa Laffitte about her store that at the time was stocked with assorted Filipino goods. The ever friendly Lourdes or Des was all smiles as she pointed out to me where the ‘sardines, dried fish and silhig (native Filipino broom)’ were placed. It was a blessing that she was a Bisaya like me, hailing from Albuera town in Leyte province. I was new in town and looked for a source of income. As a former tri-media practitioner back in Cagayan de Oro City, I wasn’t a big deal in my adoptive country. It was Lourdes who told me about her one woman business in cleaning houses and it perked my interest enough that she asked me to register the business and she would help me with more tips