Norma Gallati

Norma Elaine Gallati (Gruenhagen) passed away on December 8^th, 2022 at the Lakewood Care Center in Staples, MN. Funeral services will be held at St John’s Lutheran Church in Motley, MN on Saturday, December 17^th, 2022 at 1:00 pm with Pastor Paul Koehler officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to services.

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

Norma and Jerry shared the responsibility of owning an auto repair/body shop/salvage yard/towing business in Elk River, MN where they resided for thirty years. Norma and Jerry 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, and various committees as well as 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 her flower garden. Indoors, she was an expert puzzler and prolific reader. Norma loved to travel by way of their motorhome in which she and Jerry took many, many trips over the years.

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

Norma is preceded in death by her parents Ferdinand and Elaine (Meissner) Gruenhagen; her brother Lowell Gruenhagen of Seattle, WA; her sister Carol (Gruenhagen) Rawerts of Thief River Falls, MN; her brother-in-law Daniel Rawerts of Thief River Falls, MN, and her nephew Kenneth Wilson of St Cloud, MN.

Donations in memory of Norma may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Motley, MN, or to the Michael Phelps Foundation at www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org.