10/20/2026
Eluteria Gamez Garcia
Eluteria Gamez Garcia affectionly known as Terri, 81, passed away peacefully in her home on October 16th, 2026 surrounded by her daughters. She is preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Guadalupe (Lupe) Rivero Garcia Sr, father and mother Claudio and Concepcion Gamez and 8 siblings,
Born on July 29th, 1945, she was delivered in her home by a midwife in Taylor, Texas. She was the youngest of 12 children and spent her childhood years into young adulthood traveling from central texas to the midwest working as a migrant sharecropper in the fields. She made it to the 8th grade before having to leave school to help support and feed her family by picking crops. She had many memories she shared with her children about picking cotton and playing with cotton seeds as a child. She also had such fond memories of dressing up long neck squashes as dolls and playing with them like they were her babies. At the age of 17 she met her husband, Guadalupe, at a dance and fell in love through letters and courtship until he asked for her hand in marriage. At 18 years old she married the love of her life and that is when her true accomplishments came to be. With the support of her husband, Eluteria went to college and received her GED, and later took courses in bookkeeping and home health. She spent several years working as a home health aid, and then later used her bookkeeping skills to help her run and manage her own ceramic business and later help to run their business, Lupe's Barbershop in Killeen. Eluteria, later, decided to go to barber school where she earned her barbers license and worked along side her husband.
Together, Eluteria and her husband, Lupe were heavily involved in church and spent their lives as a couple doing ministries throughout Killeen and Ft. Hood. They ministered together at the men's prison unit in Gatesville, Texas and attended conferences with the Curcillo, a fellowship organization outside of Round Rock, Texas. She spent over 30 years teaching CCE (Continuing Catholic Education) classes and was a teacher in the church for all of her children along with so many of our friends. She helped as a counselor for grieving wives who lost spouses in the Vietnam war and later she and her husband became couple counselors for St. Joseph's Catholic Church for couples going through the sacrament of marriage. Outside of church, Eluteria's true accomplishments were her children. She volunteered with the Brownies and Girl Scouts, was a member of the PTA and never missed a football game to watch her daughter in the marching band perform. She loved her children immensley, was a stay at home wife, sewed all her children's clothing, and at times, took part time work to buy the extras to make her home a home. Eluteria with her husband, dedicated their lives to teaching their children about Jesus, what it was to have faith, to treat others with kindness and love, and to not be afraid of anything that stood in the way. She was incredibly proud of her children and took pride in the kids her and her husband raised. As a stay at home mom, she truly made her home a home with her skills of cooking delicious food. She could make the best flour tortillas from scratch, mouth watering tamales and chile in "el molcajete" that could make your gums itch and ears burn. In her free time her hobbies were candle making, arts and crafts and her true passion ceramics. In the summers you could always find her outside making ceramics, listening to classical music and painting to get ready for her markets and bazaars for the winter months.
When she wasn't working on ceramics and arts and crafts, Terri gave to the community, was an active member of the neighborhood watch program, helping as a volunteer for the Killeen Police Department. She hosted National Night Out for the neighborhood, organizing police cars, firetrucks and even Mr. McGruff to come out for the neighborhood kids.
Where Eluteria shined the most was being a grandma. Her grandchildren were her world. Her love for them was beyond measure and she made sure to make memories for each of them to always carry with them in life. Each of them knew that grandma and grandpa's house was home, where they would always have full bellies, lots of places to play and hide, and unlimited hugs and love to get. The Garcia family would like to give a special thank you to Heart of Texas Hospice, especially Moms team. Kim, RN. Laura, LVN, Aquavia, nurses aid, Luis the hospice chaplain and volunteer Ellen. A special thank you to Miriam with St Joseph's Catholic church who gave of her time as a lay eucharistic minister by bringing Eluteria, Holy Communion, praying with her and offering fellowship. It truly was the highlight of Eluteria's week and something she looked forward too.
Without you we would not have been able to give mom all of her last wishes. You all were true blessings and we are forever grateful for you. She is survived by her children, Maria Garcia of Bryan, Texas, Diana Garcia Lesieur and husband David of Mckinney, Texas, Lupe Garcia and wife Debra Garcia of Morgan's Point, Texas, Conchita Garcia and wife Lisa Garcia of Austin Texas. Her grandchildren Joshua, Zachary, Nathan, Victoria, Alex, Guadalupe III, Azalyah, Branden, Curtis, Greg, Austin, Zoe, Mason and 11 great grandchildren, along with her faithful and loyal fur companion who never left her side, Canela.
Eluteria invites friends and family to join them for a time of visitation on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 6:00PM to 8:00PM, with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 7:00PM. A funeral mass will take place on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 10:00AM, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Killeen. Following the mass, Eluteria will be laid to rest at Killeen City Cemetery.
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