Welcome to MIDDLE RIVER
In the case of Deb Zak, we not only say Welcome to Middle River, but WELCOME BACK to Middle River!
Deb was born in Thief River Falls and grew up in Middle River, the daughter of Arvid and Alice Matero. She has one sister, Eileen, who is married to Randy Johnson, also of Middle River and all graduates of Middle River High School.
She shares some of her early Middle River memories as she was growing up. “My first “jobs” in Middle River were babysitting children several times per week beginning when I was 11 years old. Those regular paychecks at $0.25/hour meant that I had spending money throughout high school. Between my junior and senior year in high school, my sister Eileen, and friends Wanda Anderson, Linda Hanson and I decided that we needed a more lucrative summer job beyond babysitting. We decided to rent the drive-in restaurant from Chuck Walton and make our fortune serving hamburgers, French fries, malts and soft serve cones. My parents eventually bought the drive-in restaurant which meant that Eileen and I had built-in summer jobs until we finished college. Most of my memories from Middle River had to do with working in the drive-in restaurant and getting to know the customers who stopped by every day for morning coffee, a noon special or evening meal. A person learns a lot of skills and a lot about human nature when working as a waitress.”
She attended Middle River Community School, graduating in 1971. She attended the University of North Dakota where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocational Home Economics Education and a Master’s Degree in Education. She credits teachers Marge Espe, Maxine Penas, and Tom Neibauer for preparing her to attend college and pass courses in family development, biology, and math. She is forever grateful to have had the quality education that Middle River provided to students that prepared students for life after high school.
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