[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5005-5006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF SARAH RANGEL GUTIERREZ

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 17, 2012

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask Congress to pay tribute to 
a role model, loving wife, mother and grandmother, Sarah Rangel 
Gutierrez. Sarah passed away on April 3, 2012; she was nearly eighty-
seven years old. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to her 
family, especially Jimmy who has been a friend.
  Sarah was born in Santa Ana, California, and raised in Pomona along 
with her three brothers and sister. Their childhood was shaped by the 
Great Depression, which brought the family together and taught Sarah 
valuable lessons about the importance of a strong family. Sarah 
attended public school in Pomona through the ninth grade. At school, 
she learned to speak English fluently, which allowed her to be a 
lifelong translator for her mother, who only spoke Spanish.
  At the age of 18, Sarah married Jesse Gutierrez, who, at the time was 
a soldier in the U.S. Army, fighting during World War II. Her husband 
contracted tuberculosis during the war, leaving him hospitalized and 
unable to care for their children until 1948. During this time, Sarah 
raised her children by herself. Sarah's strong Catholic faith helped 
her through these tough times. Although life was not easy for Sarah, 
she had a unique way of keeping her family together and their spirits 
high.
  Even after raising her children, Sarah selflessly devoted her life to 
caring for others. While Sarah was raising her family, her mother and 
brothers lived within blocks. She was able to visit her mother daily, 
and watched as she took care of her mentally ill sister. Sarah followed 
the example of her mother when her own daughter, Teresa was born with 
Down syndrome. Sarah cared for her daughter until she was no longer 
able. Her selfless giving has taught her children and those around her 
the important lesson of loyalty, which stays with them to this day.
  Let us take the time to pay tribute to a wonderful woman. Let us 
celebrate the wonderful life she led. Although she is no longer with 
us, her legacy and spirit will continue to live on through the lives of 
everyone she has touched.
  Sarah was preceded by the death of her husband Jesse, her eldest son, 
David, and her youngest daughter, Teresa. She is survived by

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her son, Jimmy and his wife, Mona, as well as her daughter, Christina, 
and her husband Marc. She leaves with cherished memories a loving 
family of 7 grandchildren, Monica Gutierrez, James Gutierrez, Sonia 
Dombroski, Cai Steffler, Tres Steffler, Annette Gutierrez and Josephine 
Gutierrez. May we all be so lucky to live a life full of love for her 
family. My thoughts and prayers, along with those of my wife, Barbara, 
and my children, Rialto City Councilman Joe Baca Jr., Jeremy, Natalie, 
and Jennifer are with Sarah's family at this time. Mr. Speaker, I ask 
my colleagues to pay tribute to Sarah Rangel Gutierrez.

                          ____________________