Gloria Hagen, 62, of Fayetteville, GA, passed away peacefully on September 9th, 2020 at her home after a long battle with cancer. She was a source of pure joy and inspiration to the people in her life by her great faith, her wonderful sense of humor, and her boundless love. Her close relationship with Jesus was the foundation upon which she built her life, and she never failed to remind everyone around her of the importance of staying in God’s word and allowing Him to guide their hearts and minds.
She was born in Bogota, Colombia in 1958. At three years old, she traveled with her family to the small town of Homer, LA to begin a new life on a farm. She would often recount the many hours spent picking sweet potatoes and tending to the chickens and other animals. After graduating from high school, she entered active duty service in the United States Air Force as a postal and administration specialist. She was stationed at MacDill AFB in Florida (Clearwater Beach being often cited as her favorite place in the world) and Osan Air Base in South Korea—where she first met her future husband, Roger. After completing four years of military service, she married Roger in 1983 and made their first home in Apple Valley, Minnesota where they would spend the next 17 years raising their four daughters. A move to Fayetteville, GA followed in 2001, giving relief from the long, freezing winters of the north.
She was a great lover of music, and anyone who knew her for even a short while soon learned she was a dedicated and lifelong fan of the Beatles. She also took great joy in playing music, including the piano, drums, and guitar—a trait she passed on to all four of her daughters. She also devoted many hours to working with horses at a therapy farm serving special needs children. The fuzzy love of her life was a pomeranian she named McCartney (after her favorite member of the Beatles), and she could often be found walking in local parks with the little dog who never left her side. Other passions included sewing and cooking. After receiving her certification as a cosmetologist, she took great pleasure in giving haircuts to neighbors over coffee and cookies in her home. She was also an active member of New Hope Baptist Church.
Our loss is deeply felt, but we take comfort in the fact that this parting is only temporary, and that she is now resting in perfect peace and joy in the arms of the Father. We look forward to the day when we will be reunited with her again, spending eternity riding horses on the beach and playing endless jam sessions. With Gloria finally home, heaven is a little brighter.
She is survived by her husband, Roger D. Hagen; daughters, Jacquelyn Hagen; Stephanie (Joshua) Medina; Lindsey Hagen; Amy Hagen; grandchildren, Hayleigh Medina, River Medina, and Roann Medina; brothers, Paul Barrera and Roberto Barrera; sisters, Marta Holt and Lillie Gurski; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services with military honors will be at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15 in the chapel of Carmichael-Hemperley Funeral Home. Interment will follow at a later date in Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14.
In lieu of flowers, the family will also accept donations to their GoFundMe page at the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-the-gloria-hagen-family.
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