Hilda's legacy

From the time the Relief Society was organized on March 17, 1842, women all over the world have shown compassion caring for one another doing many selfless acts of service. I am so blessed to be surrounded by amazing women of power.  They are special elect women who truly show that “Charity never faileth.” These women have never lost sight of their most important role as mothers and nurturers. 

Mama Hilda was one of those women. She was featured in the Daughters in My Kingdom Relief Society Book published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The story in the book explains how my grandmother Hilda was asked to be the Relief Society President by her branch President when she was a new member and a young mother of seven children. She felt inexperienced, unprepared and inadequate to do the job but nevertheless, she accepted the call. 

While she served caring for other women in the Church, she developed leadership skills and developed new gifts such as teaching, public speaking, and organizing meetings, activities and service projects. She influenced the women in the branch and taught them how to serve one another. 

The sisters loved and respected her. She helped other women to discover, use, and develop gifts and talents; she helped them become builders of the kingdom and my grandmother stayed faithful to the temple covenants she made all her life. 

One Christmas, our family went to see her when she had cancer before she passed away. I could tell by the look on her face how painful the illness was and how much she wanted to go. I remember taking Santa to visit her in her bedroom but she wasn’t too well to even enjoy his visit. We took a photo and that was it. 

My grandmother is one who endured to the end, which is what stood out to me when I read Matthew 10:22 ..."but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." All her life she had been a leader. She owned a small business that provided her with enough income to travel to the USA countless of times South America and to Europe. She loved having family over for dinner on Sundays after Church. Her favorite food to eat was “carne asada” and her favorite drink was Coke. She owned a beauty salon and gift shop. People around the neighborhood came over to her store to purchase anything from hand lotions and perfumes to dresses and toys. She had a mini Target. Many of her goods were imported from the U.S. and were of good quality. 

After my grandmother’s passing, a friend who served along with her in the Relief Society wrote my aunt Silvia Allred a letter saying: “Your mother was the person who taught me the way to become what I am now. From her, I learned charity, kindness, honesty, and responsibility in our callings. She was my mentor and my example. I am 80 years old, but have stayed faithful to the Savior and His gospel. I have served a mission, and the Lord has blessed me greatly.”  One thing that I loved about my grandmother is that she was self-reliant. She was not only an entrepreneur but also a woman of faith who left a wonderful legacy. 

Con amor,

 Vero