Thelma Irene Gutierrez

She was loved by her twelve children, 33 grand-children and 35 great-grandchildren. Born in

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico to Amando Gutierrez and Maria del Consuelo Siller, she grew up in Laredo, Mexico. An Ontario resident since 1989, whom previously lived in Alhambra, California since 1971.

Her marriage, at 16, to Valentin Berumen* produced nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren from their four loving children; Miriam Ruth*, Blanca Marisela*, Victor Edmundo and Edgar Amando Berumen.

She later married Richard G Valle* and their marriage produced 8 children: Lupita, Jesus

Santiago, Gerardo Alfonso, Thelma Mayela, Hector, Maria, Ricardo Martin and Mauro Enrique

Valle*; plus her stepson, Richard A Valle, with a total of twenty-eight grandchildren and thirty-one great-grandchildren.

In October of 1971 they made a decision to leave Monterrey, Mexico and come to California where her mother Consuelo and sister Vilma lived. She dreamed of living the American life and see Hollywood with beautiful palm trees. They quickly purchased a huge home in Alhambra where she would live the next 18 years. She obtained a certificate as a Home Health Homemaker in 1977 and was certified as a Nurse Aide through ROP in 1981. She accomplished this with very little English and during a time of much adversity and discrimination.

This family eventually moved to Ontario in 1989 where she would purchase her own home. She eventually fulfilled her dream of becoming an US Citizen on January 18th, 2012. But in 1997 she had the biggest loss of her life, losing her youngest child, Mauro Enrique. The love of her life, Richard G. Valle, passed away in 2010, then she had to bare the loss of her two oldest daughters, Miriam Ruth and Blanca Marisela, back to back in 2012 & 2013.

During her later years she cared for her grandchildren during the day to help her kids prosper and at night she enjoyed playing Bingo and would drive to the nearby casinos for a few hours of fun.

Most definitely a true tenacious woman who fought against all odds, learned English and raised nine successful children in the USA. This lady loved God and cherished her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren her entire life. She lived a fulfilled life surrounded by the love of her family. We were blessed to have had such a loving woman in our lives.

A celebration of Thelma’s life and the love her family has for her is planned for January 23rd,

2023 from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Drapers Mortuary in Ontario.