Gloria M. Schwab

Gloria M. Schwab, age 97 of Faribault, MN entered eternal life on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at Milestone Senior Living in Faribault, MN.

Gloria was born March 3, 1928 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. She spent her early years both in Gillette Hospital and St. Joseph's Orphanage in St. Paul. Thanks to the guidance of Sister Enid Webster OSB, Gloria was lovingly adopted by Jacob and Theresa (Hirtling) Longenecker of Mankato Minnesota. Some of the best years of her life were attending Good Counsel Academy where she became great friends with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Not only did she receive a faith based education but relished the thought that girl's could play sports. After High School Gloria worked at a bank in Chicago. It was during that time (Sept, 1946) Mother Francis Cabrini was canonized and Gloria was in attendance at Soldier's Field. This profound experience Gloria talked about often during her lifetime, kept the ticket stub in her Bible and was a reflection of what her faith meant to her.

Married to Roman Schwab in 1947, they farmed in Eagle Lake and Arlington and eventually moved to Faribault in 1964. Gloria knew the Faribault farm place was perfect to raise a family of 9 children.

Living in humble circumstances, Gloria learned the importance of hard work. Her work ethic was to become a trademark as it encompassed all she did. She worked diligently at cleaning and painting jobs, a night dorm attendant at the Braille school and became known for her wood-work refinishing. Gloria was well respected at all workplaces. She was a financial genius and stretched a dollar far further than you would think possible. She knew the value of a good education and made sure that there was money to support her kids' education. Gloria lived the definition of "unconditional love".

Gloria was a great sports fan and enjoyed watching the Twins and Vikings - often having choice words regarding their play! But she was the biggest fan of her kids. Proud of all of us no matter what we did and supported us no matter what our decisions. In Sept. 1995, a tornado destroyed a significant portion of the farm. An editorial in the Free Press talked of Gloria: "One woman in the line of the storm took her family photos to the basement, leaving the rest of her possessions to the will of the wind. That says a lot. In the grand scheme of things, family, friends and neighbors are the driving force of our lives. She didn't grab the checkbook or tax receipts, the food processors or the car keys." Gloria's family was and is the treasure of her life. Being the keeper of family memories, she crafted many photo albums that are a patchwork of family stories.

Gloria was known for her unique Christmas cookies. She spent most of the Advent season in her kitchen in front of a big window baking and decorating while keeping a view of the front yard. Her cookies were often the first to sell at the Church baking sale and she made sure that family and friends were gifted with a Christmas themed can filled with a variety of cookies. It wasn't only those cookies but peanut butter balls, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, poppyseed

bread, chicken and noodles, papkrikash and hamburgers that were second to none to mention just a few of her culinary delights.

Gloria said she had her own theater on the farm. Sitting in her rocking chair looking out into the woods brought her hours of natural entertainment. She watched her trees stand fast during storms (most of the time) and loved the tree activity of wood ducks, cardinals, hummingbirds and other wildlife. She watched her flower garden grow and welcomed the monarch butterflies and pollinators. She loved planting trees and nurturing their growth. Nature was a sacred experience. When Gloria became too infirmed to live without extra care, she hated to leave her beloved farm with its gardens and wooded areas and memories of her children growing up.

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents; son Timothy Schwab on Dec. 30, 2004 and brother Richard Longenecker, Nov. 3, 2018 and husband Roman, Feb 3, 2009.

Gloria is survived by eight children: Barb (Joanne) of Winnipeg, Canada, Tom (Carolyn) Schwab of Princeton, Dan (Lisa) Schwab of Mantorville, Dave (Candace) Schwab of Sioux Falls, SD, Jeff (Sarah) Schwab of Lakeville, Jack (Barb) Schwab of Faribault, Mike Schwab of Sioux Falls, SD and Matt Schwab of Medford and many friends and relatives. She will be missed by her 24 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.

She was a remarkable mother and was a presence in our lives whether we were near or far away. Gloria will be present in the recipes we cook, the stories that we tell, traditions that we share and memories that we keep close to our hearts. Mom felt her kids were her treasure. In reality, mom was our treasure. "Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift" II Cor. 9:15

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, June 27, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault. Interment will be held at Calvary Cemetery, Faribault.

Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault on Thursday, June 26, 2025 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday morning for one hour prior to services.

In Lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, donations can be made to Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, MN or Bethlehem Academy High School in memory of Gloria.