Emma Fe Cosmiano

     Emma Fe Billanes Cosmiano was born on March 9, 1928 in Navas, Aklan, Philippines to Crisogono Billanes and Rufina Martirez Billanes.  She attended elementary school in Navas and then went to Capiz High School, a Baptist mission school in Roxas City, Philippines.  Wartime disrupted her schooling from 1941-1945, but with the help of Baptist missionaries she returned to college and then taught kindergarten for three years.  She was awarded a scholarship at Alderson Broadus College, a Baptist college in West Virginia.  She came to the United States and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and then went on to Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for her Master of Religious Education degree.

     Emma returned to the Philippines and began work with the Youth Department of The Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.  After two years, she was asked to teach Language Arts at Central Philippine University in Iloilo City and at Filamer Christian College in Roxas City.

     During her first six years of teaching in the Philippines, she married Amando “Andy” Cosmiano and taught at The American School in Manila.  After a few years they decided to move to the United States with Grace and David to afford them the greatest opportunities for success.  Life’s journey brought them from the Philippines to Vancouver Canada, to Sacramento, California where Peter was born, and on to Decatur, Alabama, before finally settling in Hardeman County.

     Emma taught English at Bolivar Junior High and taught ESL classes in Clovis, New Mexico.  She was a member of First Baptist Church, Bolivar where she taught Sunday School and sang in the choirs for many, many years.

     She was preceded in death by her mother and father, her brother, Dr. Romeo Billanes, her sister, Sotedicta Billanes de Pedro, and brother, Crisogono Billanes.  In 1998, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Andy, who passed away while they were on a mission trip in the Philippines. Their middle child, David Cosmiano, passed away in 2022.

     Emma is survived by two children, Grace Plunk and husband, Matt Plunk of Destin, Florida and Peter Cosmiano and wife, Rebecca Cosmiano of Jasper, Alabama, grandchildren, Matthew Tubbs, Kali Ferguson, Megan, Christian, Eleanor, Rosalind, and Lucy Cosmiano; as well as great grandchildren, Diana and Jack Tubbs and Luke Ferguson.  She is also survived by two sisters in the Philippines, Noemi Fegarido of Roxas City and Rebecca Exmundo of Manila. 

     She will be remembered for her love of family, cooking, fishing, gardening, penning poetry and for being a Bible scholar.  Most everyone who knew her was blessed at some point with a gift of fresh-grown fruits or vegetables from her abundant garden, maybe a generous helping of lumpia (Filipino egg rolls), and an encouraging thought from God’s Word.

     A Memorial Service will be held at the First Baptist Church located at 826 West Market Street in Bolivar, Tennessee at 10:00 a.m.