Gloria M. Powers

Obituary

Gloria M. Powers was born April 17, 1935 at Engleville, Colorado to Alex Montoya and Eloisa Garcia. She passed away on September 26, 2024 in La Junta. Engleville was a coal mining town and she was a true coal miner’s daughter. When Gloria was a senior at Hoehne, Colorado in 1952, she was needed at home to help care for her siblings and was not able to graduate high school, which she regretted immensely. Gloria was relied upon a lot by her family to help care for her younger siblings, whether she was given a gun to go shoot dinner, gather wood or bring in water, she worked hard her entire life and started early. Gloria’s family had a Catholic Church and a Penitent Church in Engleville. Gloria was highly involved in the church when she was growing up and was a “Veronica” in the church.

Gloria married Perry Ed Powers on February 27, 1953 in Raton, New Mexico. Soon after they married, Ed left for Korea. When Ed returned to Colorado they started their family. While living in Rocky Ford and raising their family, their home was the center of all gatherings of her large close knit family. Those reunions are still being held at least once a year and sometimes up to 4 times a year.

In 1986 Gloria and Ed purchased the El Capitan Restaurant in Rocky Ford and ran it until it was sold in 2018. Gloria added an extra touch to the famous steakhouse of her homemade bread, the famous cantaloupe preserves, jams and jellies and hot salsa. On the weekends, you could find Gloria and Ed at Mars or BB’s Night Club for some good ole’ Country and Western Dancing. In 2013 Georgia and Jeanette took Gloria on a trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas to attend every session of the PBR finals. Gloria loved watching the bull riding and while in Las Vegas, met with all of top notch Brazilian bull riders. She had each of them sign her family calendar.

Gloria was always the first one to say that she would cook for close family and friend’s funerals, so this will be her final dinner in her name.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband Ed, her parents, 7 brothers Larry, Carl, Roger, Joe, Mose, Herman and Ferman, three sisters Evelyn, Damiana and Rosabelle, 2 daughters May and Evelyn, 2 sons, Lawrence and Doug, one grandchild and one great grandchild.

Gloria is survived by siblings Pete (Ermie) Montoya, Dolly Padilla and Judy (Tim) Koller. She is also survived by her children Georgia (Jay) Williams, Lydia Powers, Jeanette (Floyd) Myers, and daughter in law Isabel Alamos, 18 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren and many cousins, family and friends.