JEFF AND DEBBIE DEFOREST

Jeffrey Alan DeForest was born September 5, 1960, to Jo and Jim DeForest, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  At that time the family lived in Tipton, Iowa. Jeff is the third of four children.  He has an older brother, Jim, who resides in California; an older sister, Jan, who lives in Des Moines; and a younger sister, Joan, whose home is in Lincoln, Iowa.   Their father was a feed salesman and Jeff says he cannot remember a time that his mother didn't work.  She was a dental hygienist.  With two incomes, the family had no material wants unsupplied.  Debbie commented, "The DeForests had everything!"

When Jeff was in the second grade, the family moved to Winterset.  He recalls a "real nice childhood."  He admits that when there was any kind of trouble among the children, he was most likely behind it.  All he had to do was look at his younger sister and she'd start crying. His older sister would beat up on him if he tried anything with her.

Jeff was always an instigator.  Their house was next to the school, and "whenever Mom would see me running and screaming, with somebody chasing me, she would know I had started it." Even mumps couldn't keep him down.  His grandmother came to the house and saw him running around.  She said, "Get that kid in bed," and Mom said, "You get him in bed. Just try it!"

Now, whenever the four kids get together, they love to talk about pranks from those early years and one they always mention was a time when their mother was working and the baby-sitter was at the house.  The rough-housing reached a point when Jim put his fist through the door.  The baby-sitter called the mother at work saying, "I am leaving. I can't handle these children any longer!" and the mother had to come home from work to settle things.

Debbie's home, also, was in Winterset.  She was born Debbie Sue Parker to Raymond and Juanita Parker, October 7, 1959. She has one brother, Ray, four years older than she, who resides in Winterset.

The Parker family's lifestyle differed from Jeff’s family. Debbie cannot remember her mother ever being well, and she didn't work outside the home. Her father worked nights until she was a freshman so she didn't get to know him as well as she might otherwise. However, where Jeff’s family was not demonstrative, in Jeff’s words, "touchy feely," Debbie’s background was more expressive.  They consider that this has set the pattern for their present home.  It seems natural for their sons to give their mother a hug, but with Jeff, it may begin with a hug but ends up in wrestling.

Even though they had known one another in school, they had no relationship until they were in high school.  Dancing was part of P.E. and they ended up as partners. When a Sadie Hawkins dance came along, and the girls were to ask the boys, Debbie asked Jeff, whose sister was her close friend.  That started their dating.

Jeff and Debbie graduated in the same class from Winterset High School in 1978.  Jeff had worked at Fareway since he was 16-years-old but intended to go on to college. In fact, he had enrolled at the University of Iowa to go on in Math, in time to become an actuarial scientist. However, he rationalized that continued employment with Fareway was an education in itself. In the same length of time it would take to get a degree in college, he could have four years of experience in business.

Jeff and Debbie were married September 8, 1979, in Winterset.   11We had the world by the tail!11    Even though they realized that with Fareway they would be moving around Iowa before Jeff would get a store of his own, he loved his job, the main ingredient being the customers.

Trevor Scott DeForest was born on August 5, 1982, and the moves started a month later. On September 1, 1982, Jeff had his first transfer and they were on their way to Harlan.  Moves are to take effect immediately, with two to three hours notice.  It was Debbie's responsibility to pack and box everything.  It goes without saying that this was a hectic time for her, considering that, in addition, she was caring for a new one-month-old baby. But both Jeff’s and Debbie's families were there to help. Debbie clearly remembers that first experience of switching doctors, dentists, banks and all the rest.

There was also the aspect of moving away from friends, but this has had the effect of making for closer family ties.  The tendency is to deepen their relationship and for Debbie and Jeff it has meant, 11We are each other's best friend.

In Harlan they joined the United Methodist Church: They had been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, but Debbie had not been baptized until the move to Harlan.  “Once the kids get going the parents do too,” they observed.  They found the Harlan United Methodist congregation very friendly.

But, be all that as it may, Trevor's birth must not be passed over that quickly.  It must be said that he was a beautiful baby! "We know all parents think that, but Trevor really was!" He had such a beautiful complexion that everyone who saw him remarked about it.  Perhaps part of the reason was that he was well overdue in arriving. Debbie had quit work July 2 because he was due July 7.  He was born August 5.  Debbie laughs about a day when she went swimming in July. "Here was this beached whale in a swim suit.  And I got really burned!  We thought surely that would bring on labor but he came when he was ready, not when we were."

Debbie took 1 1/2 years off after Trevor's birth, then started working part-time for Spurgeon's Clothing Store in Harlan, Ia. On July 14, 1983, Debbie's mother passed away.  It was a very hard time for Debbie, but she and Jeff treasure the memories of her. When she was a young wife, she had been told that she should never have children. But not only did she have two of her own, she dearly loved her children-in-law, Jeff and Sandy, Ray's wife.  Debbie remembers that one time her and. Jeff broke up for a weekend and it was harder on her mother than anyone. They like knowing that Trevor's grandmother got to watch him take his first step and that they could spend quite a lot of time with her during that last while. They were together every chance they had, visiting the parents or the parents visiting them.

Brent Eugene DeForest was born December 16, 1984; and on September 15, 1986, a phone call came announcing their next move to Eagle Grove, Iowa. The boys at that time were four and two.  They found a nice house and, again, Debbie needed to find new doctors, dentist, and bank; but it was a very nice town where they came to know a lot of people.  They made some good friends there.

In Eagle Grove Debbie worked with Dr. G.B. Hogenson 15 hours a week, which she greatly enjoyed and misses a lot.  As has been their pattern, the family always did things together and the kids come first.  Jeff never was attracted to sports but loves the out-of-doors and, in that town, as they have done in every place, they took long walks for two or three hours every night, and then ended at the Dairy Queen or somebody's house.

They were in Eagle Grove two years.  It was there that Brent had his first broken bone.  It happened two days before Thanksgiving. He had just started walking and was in the middle of potty training.  Debbie and the boys were waiting for Jeff to come home so they could put up their Christmas tree. They had had their baths and were in their sleeper pajamas, when he fell. They called the doctor and it was discovered that he had a broken femur.  It was a twisted break and he had to be taken to Ames for surgery.  This was a time when the closeness of the Fareway family comes into play. They had to leave Trevor with a couple from the store.  They had only known the couple two months; but felt comfortable, knowing he was in good hands.

The doctors put on a hip-spika cast that went from Brent’s waist to his toes on the left leg and to the knee on other, with a brace to hold his legs apart. He was a good sport about it.  Jeff and Debbie made a seat for him in a wagon, and Trevor pulled it.  He was in this cast only three weeks, but, when the cast was taken off, he had to learn to walk all over again. He had not been able to talk well when it happened, but, because the family read to him so much during that time, his speech improved a lot.

Six months later, the boys were in the basement where they rode their big wheels.  Brent was coming upstairs, but there was no railing. Four steps up he fell and broke his collarbone. That time he was put in a brace, which bothered him more than the cast.

Trevor started kindergarten in Eagle Grove and two months later, Jeff had another call. That transfer was to Jefferson, Iowa, on November 8, 1989.  A new store was about to open and he was promoted to the position of assistant manager.  It was one of three Fastco Food stores in Iowa.  That is an acronym for Fareway Stores Company.  At the time the DeForests went there, the meat and grocery managers were also new.  That meant that everyone was looking for a house to rent at the same time, but they found one and moved on November 20, 1989.

This time, not only did it require finding all the new professionals and bank, but, because Trevor had just started to school, it was an adjustment for him and required extra attention from his parents.  The boys were growing up and the family activities changed to include swimming, biking, canoeing and camping.

While they lived in Jefferson, Brent broke his wrist while at a baby-sitter's.  She felt terrible.  She was a nurse and kept saying it wasn't broken, but he continued to complain, and they discovered it was.  That time he had only a fiberglass brace.

As a sign of the times, when Trevor was in second grade, a little boy in his class had AIDS from a blood transfusion.  The teacher handled it beautifully. She left it for the boy to tell the class when he thought they should know. When Trevor came home from school, he told all about it. Everyone handled it so well the boy's parents didn't take him out of the class. The other students were warned that if he hurt himself on the playground, they weren't to touch his blood. None of the parents became paranoid. There simply was never any negativity and it broadened Trevor's awareness that he was not totally removed from that kind of problem even in a small town in Iowa.

In their 3 ½ years in Jefferson, Jeff and Deb became even more involved in the church. The building is old but beautiful. "It sits up in the lot, proud as proud can be." They became chairpersons of evangelism. Debbie and a local photographer practically did a church directory by themselves.  They set up schedules, and it was great because the photographer could take the pictures any place or any time.

In addition, Debbie was treasurer of the local Cub Scout pack, in which Trevor was involved and joined several women's groups.  It was there that the boys learned to roller skate. The boys haven't followed their father's inclination regarding athletic activities.  They go out for every sport they can.  They were in Little League as well as being involved in a powerful Cub Scout program.  Trevor was also in Peewee Wrestling.  Brent entered kindergarten and loved it. With both boys in school, Debbie had her first opportunity to work since they were born.  She took a full-time job as teller at the Home State Bank.

Jeff and his great personality - everyone loved his laugh - were instrumental in the store being very successful and on April 23, 1994, there was a call to move again.  This move was to Altoona, Iowa, where a new, larger store was being opened. Jeff was, again, assistant manager and placed the first order for stock.  However, this was the hardest move for the boys.  Debbie remembers the movers were there to load on the day before school was out.  Trevor wanted to stay for the last day so he spent that night with friends.  When Debbie picked him up from school the next day, he cried all the way to their new home, which started a chain reaction.  By the time they arrived, the rest of the family was crying, too.

It seemed there would be nothing available in housing so they chose to buy a mobile home.  Debbie went back to work for Principal Financial Group.

Once they were settled, the family really enjoyed Altoona.  There were several options regarding which school Brent, 2nd grade, and Trevor, 4th grade, would attend, and they opted for open enrollment to Altoona's Centennial Elementary.  That school had a fabulous principal, Bob Larson.  He knew every child by first name and made the boys feel welcome.  He could be found roaming around the halls before or after school.  Mr. Larson knew whatever the various kids needed and helped them get it. He was a caring man, with a hug for everybody.  Incidentally, he was a United Methodist.  The DeForests had word that he died earlier this year (1997) due to a battle with cancer.  They realize how truly he will be missed by the school, church and community.

Altoona had a great Parks and Rec program.  The boys kept busy with baseball basketball, flag football, and swimming.  Once again Jeff and Debbie became involved in the United Methodist Church and in a powerful P.T.A.  In the latter organization, in one project, they raised over $7,000 from a frozen pizza sale.  They asked Mr. Larson what he needed.  Swings were bought including a swing for the handicapped, trees, and signs in front of the school.  There were excellent teachers and, out of the $7,000, each teacher was given $100 to purchase whatever school-related items they wanted.

Return to main page for Recipes for Living 1997 by Fern Underwood

Last Revised May 8, 2012