Gilbert Garza

July 30, 1942 - October 11, 2020

Gilbert Garza, 78 of Battle Lake, MN died on October 11, 2020 at the LifeSong Residence in Fergus Falls. Gilbert was born on July 30, 1942 in La Pryor, TX to Gabriel and Maria Garza. He was the youngest boy of eleven children. He met his wife, Patricia “Pat” Strand, in Fargo, North Dakota during the summer of 1960. They were married July 13, 1963 in Dilworth, MN. They moved to Minneapolis where he earned his journeyman degree in auto repair and learned to paint cars. In 1972, his family moved to their home on Round Lake. Two years later he opened his own business, Garza’s Body and Paint Shop. He specialized in custom paint jobs for everything from cars, boats and motorcycles to jet skis, snowmobiles and golf carts. His shop door was always open, and he loved visits from friends, neighbors and anyone passing by. He was famous for his garbage can birthday parties that were held in his shop for many years. Gilbert continued working on projects well past his retirement. Gilbert was an extremely talented man and naturally gifted self-taught artist. He worked in a variety of mediums including oil painting and iron and metal sculpting. Inspired by the world around him, he loved fashioning objects from repurposed metal parts. He enjoyed fishing, bowling, Tejano music, decorating the house and yard for holidays, classic cars and a Shoreline hamburger (iceberg lettuce, no cheese!). He enjoyed traveling and had visited all but four of the states in the U.S. He and Pat made an annual trip to Mazatlán, Mexico for nearly thirty years. During the last ten years of their visits, they volunteered at the Vineyard Church and Ministries helping those in need. He also enjoyed frequent visits to the East Coast to see his daughter, son-in-law and grandson. He loved the architecture in New England and especially loved his visit to New York City. Gilbert was a long-time member of Zion Lutheran Church in Amor where he always volunteered to wash dishes after their Fall Supper. He also volunteered for the Community Christmas Dinner in Battle Lake for several years. He was involved with the Big Brother Big Sister Program and was a member of Art of The Lakes. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and three sisters. He is survived by his wife, two children; Rick (Julie Borges) Garza and Maria (Jeff) Rougvie, three sisters, seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Memorials are preferred to LB Hospice, Vineyard Church in Mazatlan, or Zion Lutheran Church of Amor. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 17th at Zion Lutheran Church in Amor. Due to COVID-19, masks and social distancing will be greatly appreciated and there will be no lunch served. The memorial service will be recorded for those unable to attend, please refer back to the funeral home website and Gilbert’s tribute wall for a link to view the recording. Arrangements are provided by the Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls. Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com