Gloria Luna, 1934-2018

Published 1:00 am Thursday, January 18, 2018

Gloria Teresa Luna, ­­83, of Hollandale passed away peacefully with her family by her side Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus.

Gloria Luna

Gloria T. Luna was born March 29, 1934, to Fransico and Ignacia (Vasquez) Gomez in St. Paul. At the age of 7 she lost her mother to tuberculosis and was placed in an orphanage in St. Paul. Gloria left the orphanage at the age of 13, when her father remarried.

On Feb. 9, 1957, she was united in marriage to Lucas Luna Sr. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in rural Geneva. They made Hollandale their home. Prior to moving to Hollandale, Gloria worked at an egg factory in St. Paul at the age of 16. At the age of 18 she moved to Hollandale to help do farmwork on her future father-in-law’s farm, as well as other local farms in the area. She also worked 11 years at Land O’Lakes.

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Shortly after retiring she became a grandmother for the first time at the age of 50. Gloria enjoyed making crafty things, loved crocheting, playing Skip-Bo and paying an occasional visit to a casino. She enjoyed fun times with her sisters; there was always loud laughter that filled the room when they were together. Gloria loved her family dearly; her children were her world. Although Gloria never drove, she loved to go on trips and vacations with whomever wanted to take her along. She would always enjoy shopping at novelty shops along the way, and loved going to garage sales and fishing. Gloria was a generous, loving, unselfish, caring person and was always putting others first. She was a strong woman of faith.

Survivors include her six children, Lucas (Deb) Luna of Albert Lea, Matthew (Randie) Luna of Albert Lea, Mark (Marie) Luna of Maplewood, Dolores (Jeff) Weberg of Hollandale, Patrick Luna of Minneapolis and Jon (Kristie) Luna of Austin; 19 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters Esperanza (Ronnie) Segovia, Frances Smith, Juanita Gerard, and Albert, Jesse and Frank Jr. Gomez.

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents Francisco and Ignacia Gomez; husband, Lucas; son, Urban; brothers and sisters Nicholas, Louis, Frank M. Jr., Consuelo and Delores; half-brother, Raymond Sr.; in-laws Felix and Manuela Luna; brothers- and sisters-in-laws; and many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Columbanus Catholic Church in Blooming Prairie. The Rev. Thomas Niehaus will officiate. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Worlein Funeral Home in Blooming Prairie and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church Friday. A rosary service will take place at 7 p.m. today after the visitation. Interment will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in rural Geneva. Worlein Blooming Prairie Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.