Kathy Gruzalski:
CLASS OF 1969
Bremen High SchoolClass of 1969
Midlothian, IL
University of Illinois - PsychologyClass of 1977
Urbana, IL
Canterburry Junior High SchoolClass of 1965
Markham, IL
McClaurey SchoolClass of 1963
Markham, IL
Kathy's Story
2006:
Gosh, we're getting old aren't we? I've been a stay at home mom for 26 years now. I married my high school sweetheart, Phil Gruzalski, in 1971. He commands a disaster team for the federal government. He led his disaster team at the World Trade Center in 2001, all the Hurricanes in 2005 (Katrina, etc.), various floods, ice storms and other disasters. Together we have four boys.
Our oldest, Justin, will graduate from the Univ. of Illinois at Chicago this May. He completed four years in the Marines with a tour of heavy combat in the initial push to Baghdad. He drove an amtrak and led a mortar crew there.
Our second oldest, Abraham, a college student, died of bronchial asthma in Feb. 2003 at age 20. I'm still dealing with his loss, as I believe I will be forever. Abe was sweet, sensitive, intelligent, a lover of animals and nature, a Civil War re-enactor... and would have made a positive mark on the world. He died just one month after we moved into a new house and after my closest sister, Bev Huisman (Bremen - 68), died from Mesothelioma (as you might know mesothelioma is a death sentence gained from exposure to asbestos. Bev worked for 30+ years as a marketing manager in an office).
Our third son, Matthew, will graduate this May from Andrew High School. He is quiet and sweet, takes all honors or AP classes and is very bright. He has not decided if he will attend the Univ. of Ill at Urbana (as Phil and I did) or UIC at Chicago where his brother Justin is.
Our youngest, Joseph, will graduate from 8th grade this June. He has been a straight "A" student since 6th grade! He is President of Student Council, a member of NJHS, and a real sweetheart. If it is not obvious, I love my boys and they are my life!
Sept. 2008 Update:
Justin, our oldest received his B.A. from UIC and is working on his MBA there. He seems quite serious about a young woman. I am still dealing with the loss of our sweet son Abraham- I miss him dearly. He had the widest smile and loved acting silly. He made everyone laugh. Matthew is a sophomore...Expand for more
at my old alma mater: U of I in Champaign/Urbana. He was a bit hesitant at first, but is now really enjoying the campus and doing well. Joseph, our youngest is a sophomore at Andrew High School - in honors/AP classes and very involved in student council and clubs. He has just received his driver's permit - look out!
My husband is still in disaster work, but has changed his focus a bit. He left his disaster work in the Dept. of Health and Human Services and has moved into USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture) disaster services. He is the coordinator for the midwest. Basically, he helps keep us safe by safeguarding the plants and animals we eat from the effects of disasters.
I've really gotten into landscaping the past two years. My flower gardens our beautiful and I spend hours a day working in them. I also love working in my vegetable garden! We have a 16 X 24 foot garden that really produces. I've frozen about 80 quarts of veggies so far this spring/summer: asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, sugar snap peas, cauliflower and bell peppers. I've pickled about 40 pints of beets. I've made and frozen 35 quarts of tomato sauce so far, but tomatoes are still rolling in. I have a pot simmering right now. I have a small herb garden with basil, oregano, chives, and French tarragon. I love to cook, especially straight from my garden. I make a lot of stir-fry or pasta dishes with chicken and fresh vegetables. I love walking out to pick fresh lettuce, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs for a garden salad!
I'm also very interested in genealogy. My Huisman Family History is in the process of being published with a gentleman from the Netherlands. I met him a few years ago when he came here for the Huisman Reunion I organized and we've been collaborating on our family history ever since.
The most recent play I've attended is "Mamma Mia" at the Auditorium in Chicago with a nephew. I loved it. I saw the current movie three times! (I obviously loved it too!!)
I'd love to hear what other classmates have been up to!
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