Beloved Ames waitress who died in car crash along with her boyfriend and son is mourned by community

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of and listed the incorrect age for Jesse "Alex" Gutierres, who was 10 years old at the time of his death.

The Grove Cafe owner Larry Goodale said he "lost his right hand" when a beloved Ames waitress, her boyfriend and her son died in a car crash last week.

Cristy Gutierres, 44, her boyfriend of five years, Mario Zubia, 38, and her son, Jesse "Alex" Gutierres, 10, died after colliding with a wrong-way driver the evening of Aug. 23. Cristy Gutierres' 6-year-old daughter, Isabella, was the only survivor in their vehicle.

For nearly 22 years, Gutierres worked at the Grove Cafe, 124 Main St., even though three days in she wanted to quit. Little did Goodale know, he hired the best employee he would ever have and his "work wife."

"Since she's been gone, just this week, I've already been asked where my better half is," Goodale said. "And I cried like a baby."

Gutierres' sister, Briana Renfro, said Isabella is stable after suffering serious injuries.

The wrong-way driver, Spencer Bultman, 25, of Hampton, survived the crash with injuries. No one has been charged for the accident, but Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said they believe alcohol was involved.

Now, Goodale is feeling the weight of Gutierres' absence while he keeps the cafe open. He said it was no big deal to Gutierres if she worked 14 days in a row. When the Grove won Best Breakfast in Iowa, Goodale told Gutierres "I would not be as successful as I am without you."

Patrons kept asking what Goodale was doing working right after Gutierres' death, he said.

"I'm telling you right now," Goodale said, "if I had died on Sunday night in a car accident, she would have been there (the Grove) Monday morning doing what she thought I wanted to keep that place open."

The horse (and people) whisperer

When she wasn't at the Grove Cafe, Gutierres tended to her horses.

Horses brought her to the Grove since she used to ride with Goodale's brother. She bought her first horse from Goodale, and about 14 years ago, she fulfilled her dream of buying property big enough for her horses.

Renfro said her sister's love of horses started at a young age. Once she had her own property, she began breeding and selling horses to gain an extra income.

"She was an extremely hard worker because she had to upkeep the ranch and the animals," Renfro said. "She was constantly busy. She was always doing stuff."

Gutierres' eldest daughter Kylie Spencer, 21, said she wants to continue her mother's dream of owning the property and tending to her horses.

"She put me on a horse before I could walk," Spencer said.

Goodale used Gutierres' expertise for help with his horses and called her the "horse whisperer."

Her ability to connect extended to people.

The days following the accident, patrons of the Grove shared their grief. For those who only knew her as their waitress, she was memorable.

Jill Hansen said Gutierres was her favorite waitress and remembers her as "simple, kind and happy."

When Paul Stigers ate breakfast at the Grove, Gutierres would remember his order, as she did most people, Stigers said. Even though he didn't know her outside of work, Stigers said he is mourning her loss and doesn't know if he can return to the Grove knowing she won't be there.

"It's weird that there's a person I really don't know that well, and yet it's really, really hitting me," Stigers said.

Goodale said it did not matter if the customer was rough and tough or sweet and shy, Gutierres knew how to make their meal enjoyable. Renfro said this was because her sister had the ability to read people.

"She was so good with people. Just so amazing and attentive," Renfro said. "She knew if you were having a good day or a bad day, and she knew exactly what you needed in that moment."

'Just a good kid'

Stigers remembers Isabella coming into the restaurant and sitting quietly for hours while her mother worked. As some children might fuss after that long, he said she was very well behaved.

All her children spent countless hours at the Grove while she worked, including Spencer, who was under a year old when Gutierres started at the Grove.

Spencer is dealing with the loss of her mother and sibling while caring for her 3-month-old daughter.

"Gutierres deserved a much better life than she had," Goodale said. "But she did everything for those children."

Goodale said we will never know the amazing things Alex would have gone on to do because he was so smart. Whenever Goodale tried to give Alex a false fact on purpose, Alex would always catch him.

Spencer said her little brother loved nature and video games, but ultimately, he "wanted to do everything.

During the derecho Aug. 10, Alex directed his sister on his own to sit with him with books on their heads as the storm shook the house, Goodale said.

Ken Howard, superintendent of South Hamilton Community School District, said you could tell Alex was always thinking and said he had a mischievous smile.

"Maybe this is a cliche, but he was just a good kid," Howard said. "If I were a fifth-grade parent, I would have said that is who you need to hang out with because you knew he was going to treat you right."

The district serves about 700 kids which Howard said means he knows most of the students. This makes it harder, he said, because he remembers seeing Alex play on the playground.

'Every day should never be taken for granted'

Renfro and Gutierres always kept in touch, but for 11 years sickness and the cost of travel kept them from visiting each other.

A month before the accident, that streak was broken and Gutierres spent a week in Oregon with her sisters. Spencer said her mother had been considering moving there to be near them.

The visit was the first time Renfro met her younger niece and nephew, and Gutierres' boyfriend, Zubia. Renfro said she didn't know Zubia well, but could tell that the couple was happy and in love.

"Mario's family is grieving, too," Spencer said. "Mario really loved my mom, and she loved him, too. (The) last picture on her Facebook is something that says soulmates will always be together. She was right. They will always be together."

Renfro keeps returning to the time spent together that week while coping with her grief.

"You don't ever think something like this is going to happen. You think you have all the time in the world to spend with your family," Renfro said. "Then something like this happens and it's like a slap in the face and you realize every day should never be taken for granted."

The family started a GoFundMe which has raised $12,000 of it's $25,000 goal.

Danielle Gehr is a politics and government reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached by email at dgehr@gannett.com or on Twitter at @Dani_Gehr.

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This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Grove Cafe waitress mourned by Ames community after fatal Iowa crash