Bessie was born on June 27 and raised in Sampaloc, Manila, and married to Romeo M. Gabe. She is 2^nd to the youngest of four siblings. She finished her primary and secondary education at Juan Sumulong Elementary School and Arellano High School. She earned her B.S. degree in Elementary Education at University of Santo Tomas.

      She taught at Perpetuo Soccorro Parochial School in Sampaloc, Manila, Benedictine Abbey School in Alabang Hills (sister school of San Beda College), and Santiago Zobel, De La Salle School in Alabang Village, a branch school of De La Salle University –Taft.

      On July 4, 1981, she migrated to Southern California, to join her family. She was hired as a Kindergarten teacher in Rosemead Academy. Then, she applied as a substitute teacher at Baldwin Park Unified School District. When her credential expired, she lost her job.  She went to CALSTATE in LA to renew her license. After two quarters, she quit and looked for a job. She tried her luck and was accepted in different companies - such as: United Lab. & Tech. Inc., Anvil Cases, Rockwell International, Dr. Kholaki’s Dental Office, Post Office, and currently employed by County of Los Angeles, Child Support Services Department (Formerly, District Attorney’s Office).

      She lived her Cursillo at Quinta de Guadalupe in San Diego, CA on May 7-10, 1990. She was chosen to be the Vice-Rectora of Class 8 in 1992. Then in Aug. 1996, she was chosen as the Rectora of Class 26. She and her husband were formerly the Ultreya Coordinator of San Gabriel Valley Ultreya Center at St. John the Baptist in Baldwin Park.

      She was a Catechist in 1990 and became a Marriage Preparation Minister together with her husband in 1997. Presently, she is serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Baldwin Park. ♦