Friday, May 27, 2011

Saturday services scheduled for Grace Aquino, tornado victim who gave her life to save her 12-year-old son

(The following obituary is taken from the Mason Woodard Mortuary website.)

Grace Layug Aquino, age 46, of Joplin, Mo., passed away on May 22, 2011, at Harmony Heights Baptist Church, from injuries sustained in the catastrophic tornado.


Grace was born on October 6, 1964 in Florida Blanca, Philippines, the daughter of Armando Layug and the late Elena Punzalan. She has been a resident of Joplin for the past nine years. She received a bachelor’s degree in business. She was a member of Harmony Heights Baptist Church. She worked as a hostess for the China Pantry. Grace unselfishly covered and protected her twelve year old son during the tornado, and as a result his life was spared. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends.

She married Rizaldy Aquino on March 19, 1986 in the Philippines, and he survives. Additional survivors include her son, Malachi Jacob Aquino, of the home; two daughters, Divine Aquino, Overland Park, Ks., and Eunice Aquino, Manhattan, Ks.; three brothers, Cezar Layug, of Germany, Noel Layug, and Eugene Layug, both of the Phillipines.; her twin sister, Divina Villaruel, of the Philippines; sister-in-law Liberty Nicholas and husband Bernard and family, Seattle, Wa.; great-aunts, Corazon Mangio and Ofelia Oakley; cousins, Leni and Robert Welch, Joplin, Lerma and Orlando Castaneda, Sacramento, Ca., Jerwin and Eden Signa, Joplin, Miranda and Perry Taylor, Joplin, Noreen Jean Smith, Ann & Robert Mathews, Joplin; many nieces and nephews; and her grand puppies, Orly and Klassy.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday at Mason-Woodard Mortuary with cremation to follow Reverend Charlie Burnett will officiate.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Grace Aquino Memorial fund in care of the mortuary.

Arrangements are under the direction of Mason-Woodard Mortuary & Crematory.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

She appeared on my mother's dream several nights ago. In the dream, Grace asked my mom to tell her family (Grace's) that she is okay.