Luz Eliana Dlugos was born April 17, 1926, in Valparaiso, Chile, to Jose Ramon Galarce Sanguesa and Mercedes Carolina Olga Cevallos Araya.
In 1947, she was among the first eight women to graduate from the Catholic University of Valparaiso School of Law.
In 1961, Luz travelled to Monterey, California, where she would meet and eventually marry US Army officer, Major Karl Jacob Dlugos. The army sent them to several posts.
Their first two children, Albert Michael and Elizabeth Ann, were born in Heidelberg, Germany. Luz Karla and Karl Edward were later born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Throughout the time they spent in the military, Luz gave of her time and energy, eventually becoming the chairman of the Emergency Committee in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. One of her many responsibilities was to take in temporarily displaced children of service families.
After Karl retired, the family moved to Taylor, where Luz would continue volunteering her time and boundless energy, helping anyone in need. On occasion, St. Mary’s School would ask her to substitute when no one was available to take over a class. She was a member of the Altar Society and Catholic Daughters, and donated her time to St. Vincent de Paul for over 38 years.
Luz was a founding member along with Linda Harrison and Joyce Schoenrock of the Taylor Red Hat Club, a group that, among other things, would go to the nursing facilities in the area to entertain the residents.
In 1980 under Luz’s leadership, the Knights of Columbus awarded the family the title of “Family of the Year.”
Once most of her children had left for college, Employment Resources in Taylor hired Luz to help those in need find jobs or training. There were times when those seeking help would come in and let her know they were hungry. She would buy bags of groceries and then tell them some church provided the food donation. Her heart was huge.
One of her many joys was her grandchildren. Three of her children married and gave her eight to dote on. Michael married Angela and had Rachel, Sara and Emily. Karla married Michael and had David, Jacquelyn and Abigail. Eddie married Danyielle and had Henry and Stella. These children were the light of her life. Luz even started savings accounts for each of them to help defray the cost of higher education, which was so important to her.
Her brothers, Miguel Edwardo Salvador Galarce Cevallos and Ramon Mario Cesar Galarce Cevallos, preceded Luz in death. The rest of her extended family continues to live in Chile.
No matter the situation or the setting, the one thing that was always a given was her love for each of us. That was never in question. We will miss her greatly.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Providence Funeral Home in Taylor, with recitation of the Holy Rosary beginning at 7 p.m.
Mass of Christian burial will take place Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Taylor.
Luz will be laid to rest Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 11 a.m. at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
