Services for Mary will be held on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish: St. Mary Church beginning at 10:30 A.M. A visitation for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. A Rosary service will be held beginning at 7:00 P.M. For additional information or to leave a condolence for the family please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Mary and her family.

Maria Magdalena De La Cruz was born November 9, 1946, to parents Candelario and Elisa (Vasquez) De La Cruz in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She was the second of seven born to the family. She grew up in Winnebago, Minnesota and graduated in 1964. Mary attended classes at Mankato State University following high school.

Mary was united in marriage to Ernesto Aguilera on November 6, 1971, in Algona, Iowa. Together they raised four children. Mary and Ernesto lived in Minnesota and Colorado before moving to Iowa and calling Gilman their home. She worked as an executive assistant for Fisher Controls as her career. Her “second full time job” was working at the Hispanic Ministry at St. Mary, where she would help others with their immigration paperwork for over 20 years. She served as teacher in the CCD classes at St. Mary for a number of years.

In her free time, Mary was very active and strong in her faith. She enjoyed attending all family activities, working on quilts and sewing projects, reading, attending craft shows, watching western movies, listening to oldies music in the car and around the house, canning, taking pictures of everybody at family events, and making her famous flour tortillas and potato salad. She also loved the yearly trips with her family to Hinegardener’s Orchard where they would pick grapes, apples, and blueberries. The other memorable event that she looked forward to was going to the Iowa State Fair.

She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Ernesto; her children, Jeannie De La Cruz, Patricio (Teri Kowiak) Aguilera, Sara Aguilera, and Sofia (Jerardo Escalante) Aguilera; her grandchildren, Stephen Sr., Erick, Randi, Noelia, Ximena, Gloria and Ernesto Jerardo; her great-grandchildren, Brianna, Stephen Jr., and Sebastian; her siblings, Lee (Carol) De La Cruz, Rebecca Rojas, Esther (Jorge) Hernandez, Chris (Guadalupe) Lira, Tina (Angel) Marin, and John (Carmen) De La Cruz; she is also survived by many nieces and nephews and a madrina to many.

In death she rejoins her parents Candelario and Elisa De La Cruz.