Obituary of Frances F. Minglana

On behalf of Uncle Junior, Racquelle, Bianca and the girls, I would like to thank everyone for being here today; to celebrate the life of our beloved Auntie Frannie.The eldest of eight siblings, Francis Flores, born in Talafofo, Guam in 1951, emigrated to the states at 11 years old. As she grew older, she then went on to become a companion, best friend, wife and lover to Uncle Junior; a love story lasting over 50 years. Now Francis Minglana, she became a mother to Racquelle and Bianca who gave her three amazing granddaughters - McKayla, Janaya, and Aleja. She loved spending time with her extended family, and would frequently have barbecues, birthday parties, and holiday celebrations at her house. She was so warm and welcoming, that I could have invited the entire city of Seaside and she would have welcomed them in with open arms. Over the years, I have brought friends over and she would pop open a bottle of her finest wine and toast to the good life. So in remembrance of her - drink the wine. Drink the wine babygirl. To this day, my friends still tell me it was so much fun going to her house and they loved getting to meet her and our entire family. Our family has our own special brand of magic, which is love. We may be a bag of mixed nuts at times, but the bond we have through love and family - a large part of that came from Auntie Frannie. She had a special way of loving on people, and she never met a stranger in her life. She had a connection with everyone in a unique way. Ours was kissing each other on both cheeks when saying hello and goodbye. 20 years ago, Auntie was diagnosed with her first round of lung cancer and it was a shock. We hadn’t dealt with cancer in our family before so it shook us. As a family we were there for her as much as we could be, but this battle she faced was fought with Chamorro strength and God’s will. I remember once after she had lost her hair, she was wearing a hat at a family gathering, and when someone went to take a picture of her she pulled her hat off and gave a beaming smile. She said she was not afraid to show her head because it is who she was in that moment. Part of her therapy as she overcame cancer was painting. It brought her peace and deepened her connection with Jesus. She said that when she would paint and didn’t feel like her vision was translating well, she would say a prayer and God would help turn it into a masterpiece. She was even featured as an artist at Seaside City Hall where she won the People’s Choice Award. The ocean, nature, and island pieces were her specialty. For one Christmas, we had a white elephant game and she gifted an original painting. Boy were we all trying to “steal” that painting away for our own. That was such a fun night. Our beloved Auntie Frannie was called home to the house Jesus built for her in heaven. Taking her place amongst the ancestors. I will miss her laugh, her wisdom, and endless love she showed to every single person she met. She was selfless. Happy, and full of life. The evening she passed, the sunset was so beautiful, it was a collaboration between her and Jesus. Every sunset I see now, I will stop and take a moment to be still, and say hello right back. I am so grateful I was able to go to Guam with her; to see the homeland one last time. I can still feel her presence surrounding us and selfishly, I wasn’t ready to let her go. But now, she is pain free and at peace. It is bittersweet for us; we lost our family matriarch, mother, wife, nana, sister, friend, and confidant, while heaven gained a Saint. Thank you for everything Auntie Frannie, we love you so much! Miss you. Hu guaiya hao!