Carmín was born on September 29, 1938 to Gregorio Mercado and Vidalina Perez in the town of Yauco, Puerto Rico. Carmin grew up as the youngest of five children including Amelia (Melín), Raymond (Moncho), Raphael (Felo) and Israel who died at birth. Carmín attended grade school onto high school in Yauco with her siblings while being raised by both her parents and grandparents.  

In 1955, as a teenager, the whole family moved to the main land, United States.  The family lived in Harlem, New York for a short while before moving to Sacramento, California where her father’s aunt had resided.  

Sacramento, California is where she would make her home and begin her journey.  A graduate of Sacramento High School, Carmín would eventually meet her husband Tong Cheah while being set up on a blind date by her sister Melíin, a nurse at the County Hospital.  She met the young resident Doctor which she fell in love with and married.  

Together they raised four children in Sacramento with eleven grand children and one great grand child.  

Carmín and Tong ran in social circles with their close friends throughhout their married life.  She and Tong loved to travel setting foot in every continent and hundreds of cities around the world with close friends and family.

Carmín is loved by the many friends and relatives she was so close to.  Carmín is loved by her children Eric, Sandra and Bryan along with her grand children Christopher, J.T., Bryan, Alex, Erica, Alyssa, Ryan, Elizabeth and Nicholas.  

We will always love her!