Debra Gutierrez:
CLASS OF 1974
Rembrandt Consolidated High SchoolClass of 1974
Rembrandt, IA
College of Saint MaryClass of 1977
Omaha, NE
Debra's Story
Life
After graduating from St. Mary's, with an R.N. degree in 1977, I worked at hospitals in the Omaha area. I met my "Floridian" husband at a Nursing grad. party, and we dated for five years.We married in June 1982. We bought a house in Omaha and lived there for three more years. Our two oldest sons were born in 1983 and 1984. We moved to Florida in 1985. I was lucky enough to be able to stay home with the kids, and work at home. Our two other sons were born in 1987 and 1989. The boys have kept us very busy--with baseball, soccer, and football over the years.Then it changed to driving, trucks, and girls... My Dad used to tell me to stay away from "Boys" as they are "trouble" with a "T." Little did I know that I'd have "4 Boys"!! I love them more than anything, and feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful, sweet family. We enjoy fishing, boating, and even scuba diving. My husband is a true outdoors-man and loves to take the boys hunting, camping, and fishing. We enjoy our time at our "Beach House" on Anna Maria Island, and hanging out on the WeekiWachee River, relaxing on the dock,snorkeling, enjoying nature and jet-skiing.
I encourage my friends to please plan a trip to Florida, and look us up. There's no place like Florida...the beaches and sunsets are so beautiful...Florida is great; I'd never move back to the Midwest and that c-o-l-d weather!!Gone are the "hot-pants", tight Calvin's ,mini-skirts, and my '76 Cutlass S...I've moved onto sunscreen, Levi's, shorts,and sandles, and drive my Escalade while listening to my country favorites--Tim McGraw, Allan Jackson and Shania. "Man, I Feel Like a Woman!!" My motto "You can take the girl off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the girl!"
School
I feel privileged to have attended a small rural school like "Rembrandt." With a graduating class of only "14" students. I think we all had a special closeness to each other, that has stayed with us. Remembering friends like Jim M. and Leanne S., and laughs with faculty in Chem class and Physics. Mrs. Schneck was my favorite teacher and all the "Shakespeare" she drilled into our heads...I can appreciate it now. Class plays were a lot of fun.I do have a lot of fond memories of high school. Meeting kids at other high schools, basketball games, cheer-leading, speech contests, proms, going "steady" with T...Expand for more
im A... The only thing that could have been better, is if my parents would have allowed me to "drive";I could NEVER drive the family car, and it was always a bummer. Kept me out of trouble, I guess. I went out with my friends as much as I possibly could--I'm a little too sentimental for my own good!! Summers were spent weeding bean fields and de-tasseling corn--it was "Sunburn City!" Were we nuts??!! We needed that $1.25 an hour!
College
Attending an "All women's Catholic college" like St. Mary's would not have been my "1st" choice. I wanted to study Nursing, and this is the only school my parents insisted on sending me--kind of a family tradition thing. I did make many friends; good friends like Lori G., and Peg H.We still keep in touch and laugh about old times. We went to Frat. parties, studied NOT as often as we should have, and double-dated. Those "blind-dates" were often "torture." But, we did it for our friends! The nuns used to give me a hard time--especially Sr. Mactilde. The Heart Balls were fun. I'd be in a hurry to make week-end plans to head home as often as I could once I started dating Dan H. Those were the good 'ole days--dancing at PoGo's, The Joker in Council Bluffs..what a riot--remember "The Hustle."? Fortunately, I had very nice room-mates, and my sisters attended the same college. I grew to really like Omaha. If I had it to do over, I would have gone to Creighton University.
Workplace
After college graduation, I worked at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Then later at St. Joseph's Hospital in Omaha, Ne.in the Intermediate and Cardiac unit. When we moved to Florida in 1985, I was fortunate to be a "stay-at-home-mom". I was kind of burnt out on Nursing, and was lucky to be away from it for 10+ years. My sons' activities kept me very busy, and I made it a point to exercise regularly at the YMCA. Over the years, our family enjoyed trips to Panama, the Cayman Islands, Vail, Lake Tahoe, Snow-mass, and the Bahamas.I went back to my Nursing career, only 5 years ago, in 1998. At the Imaging Center, I assist with Stress Tests, and nursing procedure duties. It's much more enjoyable than working in a hospital. I help out at the Center, maybe once or twice a week. I make time to do the things I want or need to get done at home. And I STILL feel like I'm always on the road!!
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