Norma Gallati

Norma Elaine (Gruenhagen) Gallati passed away December 8, 2022, at the Lakewood Health System Care Center in Staples.

Funeral services will be held Dec. 17 at 1:00 p.m. at St John’s Lutheran Church in Motley with Pastor Paul Koehler officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church. Funeral services will be livestreamed. 

Norma was born May 18, 1940 to Ferdinand and Elaine (Meissner) Gruenhagen in St Paul. She grew up in St Paul and Verndale. She attended Harding High School in St Paul graduating in 1958. Norma married the love of her life, Jerry Gallati one month later, on June 21, 1958. 

Norma and Jerry shared in the responsibility of owning an auto repair/body shop/salvage yard/towing business in Elk River  where they resided for 30 years. The couple retired to the Lincoln area in 1995 where they started a Christmas tree farm and a mini storage business. Norma was very active in her church as part of the ladies’ groups, various committees, teaching Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. She was an outdoorsy woman who loved to play softball, ride snowmobile, go camping, walk on a beach, watch the birds and tend to her flower garden. She was also an expert puzzler and prolific reader. Norma loved to travel in their motorhome in which she and Jerry took many, many trips over the years. 

Norma is survived by Jerry, her husband of 64 years; one daughter, Lynn Gallati (Marty Cagan) of Durango, CO; one son, Jeffrey (Natalie) Gallati of Lincoln; two grandsons, Jeremy Gallati (Kayla Carry/Destanee Pec) of St Cloud and Eli Cagan of Durango, CO; one granddaughter, Arianna Cagan of Concord, NH; one great-grandson, Jaiden Gallati of St Cloud; one great-granddaughter, Jennex Gallati of St Cloud; one brother, Warren (Judy) Gruenhagen of Greensboro, NC; three sisters, Corrinne (Weldon) Wilson of St Cloud, Emily (Gerald) Boleen of White Bear Lake, Gloria (Everett) Acker of Newport; three sisters-in-law, Elois Gruenhagen of Seattle, WA, Hazel (Robert) Zemple of Walker and Lila (Ron) Anderson of Ramsey and many nieces and nephews. 

Norma is preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Lowell Gruenhagen of Seattle, WA; one sister, Carol (Gruenhagen) Rawerts of Thief River Falls and one brother-in-law, Daniel Rawerts of Thief River Falls. 

Arrangements are by Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Staples.  

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