Christina Yugu Mustafa, 75, died Thursday, July 26th at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota where she was diagnosed with myeloma leukemia. She was surrounded by all her children, grandchildren, friends and members of the Sudanese community.

Christina was born on January 1, 1943 in a small village called Nyolok in Kit 1, South Sudan. She was the fourth of six children born to Yugu Mustafa and Poni Lado.

She was the second wife of Suleiman Saad. She is the mother of nine children and five stepchildren. She moved to Rochester, Minnesota in June 2005 from Uganda, Africa with three of her children, two daughters and one son; and her granddaughter. She was united with her long-lost oldest daughter who was separated from her for 18 years due to the war that was going on in South Sudan. This was done with the help of Catholic Charity (which is a refugee resettlement program) and the Red Cross Society.

Christina was known as Haboba (grandma) to all her grandchildren and members of the Sudanese Community. She was very kind, quiet and spent most of the days watching her grandkids during the day and attending Hawthorne Adult Learning Center in the evening to improve her English. She was also a woman guided by faith. She was an active member of Co-Cathedral Saint John the Evangelist and the Sudanese Church (first Presbyterian).

Christina is survived by seven children, Gisma (Keji) Saad, Aisha (Kiden) Saad, Haleema  Saad, Khamis Saad, and Keji Saad (daughter and granddaughter) all from Rochester, Minnesota, Lado Saad, Zahara Saad, and Margaret Saad of South Sudan; 24 grandchildren all from Rochester and South Sudan; 17 step-grandchildren from Rochester, Minnesota, Australia, Canada, Kenya and South Sudan; and nine step-great-grandchildren of Rochester Minnesota, Canada, Australia and Kenya. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Yugu and Poni; two sons, Abass and Pitia Saad; two step-sons, Awad and Hassan Saad.

Although, she is not physically present with us, she is alive in our hearts and shall be remembered forever. We miss you so much our loving mother and grandmother.