Herminia Gutiérrez González

Herminia, affectionately known as "Uca," was born in March 1932 in the barn where she still resides at the age of 92, in the Llano neighborhood, known as the Triana neighborhood, in Vargas (Puente Viesgo). The firstborn of two brothers and two sisters, she was raised by her aunt María Jesús and her paternal grandparents, Herminia and Sabino, who managed several properties in La Montaña. Her grandfather was also mayor of Vargas after the Spanish Civil War, a conflict that deeply affected his in-laws and his family, whose house became a refuge. Her father, Gonzalo, worked at the La Niña chicory factory in the town, in the mountains, and later at Sniace. Her mother, Cristina, in addition to taking care of the home and raising her children, sold seedlings at the Torrelavega fair, which generated a lot of work on the land. Herminia helped her with these agricultural tasks, contributing to the family's livelihood. Herminia studied at the Vargas girls' school until she was 14, always carrying her caton, under the tutelage of Doña Ángeles. In the afternoons, she devoted herself to sewing, an activity she remembers as "happiness." In her youth, she helped her family with daily chores without a moment's rest. She was in charge of carrying milk, collecting leaves at La Posada, and cycling along the roads to Castañeda to study sewing with Doña Remedios or go to the choir to sing. She also fondly remembers her free time, from childhood games in El Cruce to youth gatherings around the neighborhood's first radio station, her grandparents', listening to "Fiesta en el aire," or playing bowling. She also remembers the time spent at the Falange de Vargas house and the Sundays on the Ayrón Club field, where her husband was a coach, coinciding with the player Amelia Quintanal. During the Franco regime, she served in the Women's Section in Polanco. After several suitors from Vargas and Renedo, Herminia met Antonio Torre, her final husband. After ten years of courtship, they married when she was 24, in the Vargas church. Between 1957 and 1968, they had two daughters and two sons. The family's income was supported by Antonio's work at the Cristalería Española factory in Vioño and the joint management of the domestic dairy cattle. For years, she actively participated in organizing festivals in Vargas with the neighborhood council, especially the Las Perola festivals, which she fondly remembers for the help her grandmother offered to the poor who came to visit her during her childhood. At 56, Herminia suffered the loss of her husband. After three years of mourning, she resumed her social life with the Castañeda association and traveled extensively. Currently, she is the grandmother of nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Despite the difficulties and health challenges she has experienced, Herminia is grateful and appreciates "the present, what she's experiencing now." Legado Cantabria is a PEM Foundation production.