Ana Alschen

This note is in loving memory of Ana Cristina Alschen. Affectionately known as “Ana”, “Cristina”, “Cristinita”, “Señora” or any variations of these names by her friends and family.

She was born in El Salvador to Julio Montes and Enriqueta Martinez. In early January of 1949, her mother, 8 months into her pregnancy, fell ill and went into labor early on January 6th. Some may argue that my mother’s feisty demeanor (and not my grandmother’s illness) that forced her into premature labor! Since very early in her life, she faced a multitude of challenges since day one. At age three, she contracted polio, which led to years of surgeries and grueling physical therapy. However, these circumstances did not defeat her, instead it was her catalyst to push forward and overcome any obstacle presented to her. At the age of 7, on crutches, she requested a bike and taught herself to ride it. At school, she maintained a perfect grade point average from grammar school through her university years. She learned to drive at the age of 12 and got her license at 15 with the help of her uncle who “inflated” her age by 3 years. Well read and worldly, she loved to converse and fervently debate for hours on a plethora of topics such as politics, religion, music, economics, geography, science and her favorite – sports! Sports represented much more than a game to her. Sports epitomized competitiveness. In addition, they fostered loyalty, required commitment, forced discipline and undoubtedly a lot of persistence – these were the principles she lived by. When people remember her, the words “headstrong”, “tenacious”, “courageous”, “feisty” and “opinionated” come to mind. Her character was strong and she definitely had a presence. Despite her underlying feelings, she had such a self confidence that was admirable. No challenge was above her and nothing was impossible. The sky was the limit!

Undeterred and seeking to expand her horizons at the age of 22 she left El Salvador and immigrated to the United States in November of 1971 with a determination to make her mark. She first settled in the quaint “little town” of …..Brooklyn, New York! New York City’s allure and excitement was too hard to resist and she wanted “to be a part of it”, as Frank Sinatra put it.

The charisma and inquisitiveness she exuded led to an allure that allowed her to quickly expand her network of friends. In 1976, she met a man named Mark Alschen while living in northern New Jersey. A friendship quickly developed and they were married in 1977. That same year, she welcomed her first and only child, Matthew. The marriage lasted until 1984 when they decided to go their separate ways. Following the divorce, Ana Cristina and Matthew continued to live in various locations in northern New Jersey until 1990, when she decided to move to northern Virginia to be closer to her family who have always provided unwavering love and support for her.

During her time in Virginia, her longest tenured position was at Comcast, where she was a customer service representative until she went on disability in 2006. While she had made Manassas her home since 2003, arguably the best decision she had made was to move into the Marywood Apartments in October 2010 where she experienced one of the most supporting environments very tailored to her special needs. There she made a wealth of friendships and truly caring individuals who remained supporting of her until her last day.

While Ana Cristina’s life was not as long as it should have been, she truly lived it the best she could. Her love of being the center of attention and livening up the atmosphere with her sense of humor is what people loved about her. She truly had an uncanny ability to connect with people from many different backgrounds finding a common ground from which to build a conversation or relationship. Despite the many setbacks with her health, Ana Cristina never stopped living and we will always remember you and the mark you’ve made on our lives.

Her favorite song:

Imagine by John Lennon
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today…
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

While she is no longer here in person, she never did stop living.

Family will receive friends on Wednesday May 28, 2014, from 10:00am to 11:00am in the Baker-Post Funeral Home, 10001 Nokesville Rd., Manassas, VA 20110.

A Celebration Of Life will held in the Chapel at 11:00am. A luncheon will follow in the Baker-Post Community Room.

Interment will be private and at a later date.

Please sign the guest book at www.bakerpostfh.com.