AVÓ – Surface Earth

Rosa de Jesus Alves Grego September 27, 1915 – January 4, 2012

Dona Rosa, the daughter of Antonio da Rocha Labrego & Maria Rosa de Jesus Alves, arrived in this world in Gafanha Da Boa Hora, Vagos District of Aveiro, Portugal. She was raised in a family farm well know locally by the name of “A Quinta dos Ingles” or “The Fifth of the English“.

Dona Rosa married Eugenio Domingues Grego on March 9, 1933 and had five children: Maria de Jesus Alves, Jeremias Domingues Grego, Silverio Domingues Grego, Irene Alves Grego, and Lourdes Alves Grego. The Grego family immigrated permanently to Sao Paulo Brazil in 1948.

A life spanning nearly 97 years, by any measure, is a blessing and a cause for celebration. Like most of the women in her family, long lived and accustomed to bearing the weight of the family on their strong backs, Dona Rosa endured a difficult life seemingly without tiring and always without ever complaining. Her own grandmother is believed to have lived to 124 years! Never formally educated, as was most women of her time, Dona Rosa‘s intellect remained as sharp as ever, her memory was astonishing – at any age.

As a blessing, a long life extracts a very heavy price. Dona Rosa outlived her husband and her two sons. In addition to her three daughters (Maria, Irene and Lourdes), Dona Rosa is survived by eight grandchildren, four great–grandchildren and two great–great grandchildren.