Alma was born and raised in the Philippines and grew up in a small family with one brother. Her life has been shaped by travel, resilience, and connection. She came to the United States after meeting her husband, Stanley, in Bermuda, where they were both working. Stanley was originally from North Dakota, and the two were married for 30 years.
Over the years, Alma lived in many places, including Hawaii, her favorite of all. She loved the warm weather, friendly people, and the vibrant city life in Honolulu. Alma worked at a McDonald’s in this bustling metropolis, while Stanley worked in construction, primarily roofing. They lived on the main island for seven years, and Alma especially enjoyed driving around the town, taking in the scenery, and soaking up the energy of island life. Her daughter, Alma, was born in the Philippines but raised in Hawaii.
In 1997, Alma and her family moved back to the Philippines, where they lived for many years and built a house from the ground up in Binmaley, a town about six hours north of Manila in the province of Pangasinan. Alma returned to the United States in 2023, while still maintaining her home in the Philippines. She now lives with Alma and her eight-year-old grandson, Ezekiel.
Alma uses a wheelchair and would enjoy home visits focused on conversation and companionship. She loves reading the Bible, chatting about current events and movies, and sharing coffee and conversation. She enjoys car rides to look at summer flowers, fall colors, and Christmas lights, as well as visiting restaurants. She would love wheelchair walks at places like the nearby Tamarack Nature Center. Alma prefers handshakes over hugs at first and is looking forward to connecting with a friendly, thoughtful visiting companion. Although she speaks English, she is quite shy at first, and it may appear that she does not understand it, but she does. She also speaks very softly, so being extra attentive is helpful.
Alma dearly misses her friends in the Philippines, especially the regular tea gatherings they enjoyed, where they caught up on each other’s lives and the local news around town. She would love to connect with someone who speaks Filipino, or has traveled there and loves the culture and beauty of her homeland.
