The Ugarte Women, "Las Ugarte" as they were known in their day, brings to mind five women...Ana Aboitiz de Ugarte, their mother the matriarch, Elisa Ugarte de Rotaeche, the eldest daughter and my mother, Mercedes Ugarte de Gonzalez, Natividad Ugarte de Melian, Condesa de Peracamps, and Miren Karmele Ugarte Foley. Four of them lived for a hundred years or more.

All these extraordinary women met almost every afternoon at their mother, Ana's home in San Juan and enjoyed each other's company. They often brought their children who played with one another. Their mothers, each a unique Ugarte Aboitiz woman, personified what they had received from Ana their mother and were in turn passing it on to their children. It is a picture to want to emulate.

Ana Aboitiz de Ugarte

I will begin with Ana Aboitiz de Ugarte, married to captain Jose Marcelino Ugarte, from Gorliz, a Basque village, himself a remarkable man. When thinking of Ana, or Anita as she was called, all these qualities come to mind: Strong, hard working, kind, generous, self giving, caring, noble, loyal, dependable, trust worthy, strongly catholic, very religious, full of wisdom and good counsel, very human, a remarkable woman in every way, beautiful both interiorly and exteriorly. I will give you examples to elucidate some of these qualities but they will only be a few as time and space do not permit more. She had to encompass all of these qualities to have almost single handedly brought up seven wonderful and exemplary children, as her husband being a sea faring captain was often gone.

She always had time for all who came to her for help and advice no matter what their social standing. They could be her nieces, nephews, daughters-in-law, Basques who needed a short stay at her home when first arriving from Spain or people from the nearby Barrio of Santa Lucia. Abuelita Anita welcomed them and had time for them and extended a helping hand. Her strength of character was manifested when she single-handedly turned back the "Barrio People" who came to loot whatever the Japanese had left in her house which they had occupied and then retreated to Marikina. She was a power to be reckoned with. I lived with my grandparents for many years and I never saw my grandmother cry. We knew that she cried, especially after my grandfather died, but she did it alone. In our presence she called attention to the goodness of God and her special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus whom she often invoked. All trusted her and knew her to be as I have described. She was busy from morning till night attending to all the demands that her obligations asked of her...and this life of hers did not afford her much time for a social life of "tea and crumpets" with the other ladies of society. Her social life was mostly one with family and her daughters who often came to be together with her and each other.

My list of examples of her virtues can be lengthy but I must content myself to just assure you that yes there was such a woman, she lived to be 105 years, she touched all of our lives, and she did live and walk with us.

Elisa Ugarte de Rotaeche

Elisa Ugarte De Rotaeche was a modern version of her mother Anita, shall we describe it as variations of the same theme, in her own right also a strong and remarkable woman. Her life evolved in different ways because she lived in different times. She was a product of the Assumption as were her sisters. All were given an opportunity to pursue their field of interest and Elisa chose to be a pianist. She completed this career to the point of performing her personal concert and received her degree as a concert Pianist. Not too many are aware of this fact. This demanded much discipline on her part and she had to forgo the trips abroad that were offered to the others. Elisa also did beautiful works of embroidery and needle work. It was one of her favourite past times.

She married Luis de Rotaeche, a Basque from Bilbao, and had two children. Her life took many turns where she too displayed many of those traits that her mother Anita had. Again they are too many to enumerate but suffice with a few to illustrate them. When the Second World War began, Elisa and her family of husband and two children lived in Davao. Without any previous notice and in the night, the family had to leave their home and all their belongings behind to flee from the Japanese forces who were about to land in Davao. That night of flight ended up 6 months later, after fleeing from place to place, into the jungles of Mindanao. It ended in North Cagayan where by means of a "batel", a local sail boat, the family made their way to Cebu.

All of those qualities that made her a remarkable woman were displayed then. She almost died of virulent Malaria which she contracted during the flight. She never recovered any of her belongings but she went on with her life and ended her days in Bilbao at 100 years old where she is buried in the Cemetery at Gorliz with her husband Luis. It is the common consensus that aside from being fiercely loyal to her family and extended family, she was fun to be with and one always had a good time with her. She had many friends and all loved her. Like her mother Anita she always had time to extend a helping hand to any one in need and there were no limits to how she would give of her self for her family, especially for her children. In looks.... it is said that they were all beautiful women, but she was the most beautiful of them all.

Mercedes Ugarte de Gonzalez

Mercedes Ugarte de Gonzalez was unique in her own right. She seemed as if she had been cut from a different pattern from the rest. She was reserved and very much a lady. One could easily imagine her fitting in a scenario of "Gone with the Wind", a genteel and perfect hostess. She was prudent, soft-spoken and never crude, never said anything nasty to any one or about any one. Her life seemed to fall into place with her personality. It is said, and her brothers and sisters laughed about it, that whenever the Ugarte car, a small one at that, left the Leku Eder, their house in San Juan, full to the rafters, Tia Mercedes first took a look to see if she would fit comfortably. This was a relative decision because more times than not what was full to some was not to others...to the point of one time it being so full that the car door burst open and Tia Miren flew out. Tia Mercedes opted best, to stay home than to travel under those conditions. She too, as the other sisters, went to the Assumption convent for her education and was more interested in art and sewing, dress making. Their mother, Ana, made it a policy to let each of her daughters choose their field of interest and devote their efforts into what interested them. Mercedes became quite a good water color painter and some of her works are still with her grand children who proudly display them in their homes.

Mercedes married Antonio F. Gonzalez, also genteel like her and very much a gentleman, one would say that they were a perfect match one for the other. She was a wife first and a woman of her home and her interests always remained there. She had one son, to whom she was very devoted. Her home in New Manila was always the ideal place for large family gatherings and she enjoyed bringing the family together. Mercedes was kind, reserved, secrets always remained secrets if they were told her, staunchly loyal and giving, especially to her family, very prayerful, (her novenas and hours of prayer were endless), and so very gracious. She was loved by us all. Mercedes also experienced her moment of trauma when her house burnt down while she was praying at the Pink Sisters chapel in Gilmore St. She came home to a burning house and lost all her belongings. But made of sterner stuff, an Ugarte Woman, she picked her self up and faced what life brought for her future. She passed on at the age of 103.

Maria Natividad Ugarte de Melian, Condessa de Peracamps

Maria Natividad, or Naty as she was called, was born in 1916, the fourth of seven children born to Ana Aboitiz and José Marcelino Ugarte. She always said that she was the "forgotten one" - neither the eldest nor the youngest of her siblings - just the middle one. It had its advantages as her mother wasn't as strict with her as she was with Elisa and Mercedes, her older sisters. She adored her sea-faring father, Captain Marcelino Ugarte.

Naty was the restless one. She loved travelling and made friends easily. She was fun to be with and was always ready to meet the world head on. Her sense of humour was catching, as was her very singular laughter. At age 19 she travelled around the world with her sibling, Mercedes. While in Spain, the Spanish Civil War overtook them (they were with Tio Ramón Aboitiz at that time) and they were "rescued" by a British ship.

She met her husband-to-be, Leopoldo Melián Zobel (or Leo as he was called) through Tony Gonzalez, her sister Mercedes' husband. As Leo loved to share, he visited Tony in his office one day and asked who the girl in the photograph was with Mercedes. When Tony told him it was his sister-in-law Naty, he told him, "I am going to marry that girl!" Of course, Naty laughed at this notion as they had never met, but sure enough, they married a few months after. They had four daughters and a son.

They lived in Spain in the 50s when Leo was overseeing the establishment of the first San Miguel Brewery in Spain. While in Spain Naty became the Condesa de Peracamps when her father in law, Antonio Melian Pavia (IV Conde de Peracamps), passed away in 1957 and Leo inherited the title.

With his mission accomplished, they returned to the Philippines and then again to Spain (Sotogrande) in the late 60s where Leo retired. Both Naty and Leo said those years were the best and happiest of their married life. After Leo passed away in 1978 she travelled extensively visiting her children who were scattered around the globe. She settled in Sydney, where Elena and her family were living.

Naty was religious but wasn't into novenas and hours in front of the saints, but she did pray and lived a life of faith. Naty would often say, "What will become of me, I cannot pray as much as Mercedes does".

She adapted to anything, was a realist, never demanding nor materialistic. Her family, the clan, were her first priority. As she got older, she favoured the company of younger persons because she considered them more fun. She was a great conversationalist, approaching anyone around her and asking about their life story. Her sense of humour made her a favourite in gatherings and she was always game to join in any activity. She was obsessed with the height and weight of people, her preference being tall and slim. Naty was an avid reader and a follower of news and sports. Her passion was cooking, baking, and writing down recipes. Who can forget her cinnamon rolls?

She was an incredible wife and friend, a loving and generous mother. For her generation, she was very broadminded, albeit without compromising her fundamental values and beliefs. She was very independent and never wanted to be a burden to anyone, and she never was. She passed away peacefully in Manila at the ripe old age of 101.