Uma Devi Samineni (Yelemanchili)

Uma Devi Samineni (Yelemanchili) was the youngest of three daughters born to Viswaswarao Yelemanchili and Seshayamma Alluri on March 25, 1963, in Chodavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India. As the baby of the family, Uma was immensely loved by her father. She grew up surrounded by opposites and learned early that the wealth her grandmother created for her children did not necessarily result in family peace or lasting prosperity. My mother never let loss, hardship, or the expectations of others stop her from building what truly mattered. After completing her studies in chemistry, she met her husband, the stubborn son of a tobacco sharecropper. She saw beyond the poverty her parents looked down upon and chose to marry him. This would be the first of many times Uma and her husband took a chance on their differences and stood up for one another, even when they did not see eye to eye. There is a saying that a storm may tear the roof and possessions from an island house, but when the foundation is strong, the house remains standing after the storm. Much like that island house, Uma and her husband remained committed to their foundation through some of life's worst storms. Soon after marrying her husband, Uma became pregnant with the family's first grandchild. She was unwavering in protecting her first daughter while she was still inside her, even when her older sister influenced their parents to put a pregnant Uma out on the street. Later, she safeguarded both of her daughters when my grandmother urged her to abort so that she could instead have a boy. Using her superhero powers as a mom meant everything from surviving a major earthquake with her newborn daughter to protecting her children through life's most challenging times. Whether Uma chose her children or her children found her, both of us always knew we were meant for one another. As a mother, she could somehow get the neighbors to forgive her rabble-rousing toddlers for dropping spoons onto their cars in ways other children might not have gotten away with quite so scot-free. Uma knew how to create joy. She enlisted her husband in the creative hunt for our first Nintendo console so she could play video games with us, and she showered each of her daughters with love in the way each of us needed it most. Even when times were financially difficult, she made one thing clear to her children: having each other's backs, and leading with kindness and compassion, mattered more than anything else. Money was moot if Uma believed something was the right thing to do. She never sought credit when she taught us to walk away from money or other transient things in order to remain on the path of our ancestors. For such a young mother, she took extraordinary risks, leaving everything she knew behind so her daughters could have greater opportunities and access to education. Friends described her gumption in her native language as having a "silver tongue." And sometimes wit and gumption were exactly what the family needed. In a new country, with little money, Uma and her husband managed to find a doctor willing to prescribe the medication their child desperately needed for a life-threatening kidney infection. Even amid unfamiliar circumstances and the new misery of New England winters, Uma learned to drive as an adult and confronted each new crisis with a resilient spirit. After leaving those harsh winters and living in several states, the family eventually landed in Utah, where Uma found a caring community and new opportunities as a working mother. Whether she was making candy at C. Kay Cummings, working in dry cleaning, cutting hair, or running a garden center, our mother became a respected colleague, a trusted friend, and someone deeply loved by those around her. Her favorite pastimes included knitting, gardening, listening to music, and extending kindness to anyone who needed a friend. Despite the painful treatment she had received from her parents, Uma was the only child to return to India and offer forgiveness when her father was struggling with alcoholism and addiction. That was who she was. She understood that forgiveness did not erase the past; it meant deciding what was worth carrying forward. Whether she was breaking up a fight between her daughters or helping us understand why a longtime neighbor had ended their life, one of Uma's favorite sayings was: "If it is not important for the long run, let it go and do not lose your happiness. Remember, time never returns to us." A plane ticket with no return. Crossing an ocean. Learning to drive as an adult. Having little money. Being overlooked as the last daughter. Cancer. And everything else life placed before her. Uma confronted it all with bravery and humility. She taught everyone around her the importance of giving without expecting anything in return. She showed us that prosperity is more than wealth, that family is more than circumstance, and that strength does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes strength is simply the person who keeps the house standing after the storm. Uma's memory lives on in the countless lives she touched, in the daughters she fought for, in the family she helped build, and in the kindness she gave so freely. And perhaps the best way to honor her is to remember the wisdom she gave us: Do not lose your happiness over what will not matter in the long run. Time never returns to us. But love, given freely and carried forward by those who remain, does.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, September 10, 2026 starting at 7 p.m. at Valley Burial & Cremation, 217 E Pioneer, Puyallup, WA.