Gloria Hebert Obituary

Our Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Gloria Jean (Baggenstoss) Hebert, 82, of Long Prairie, left us in the early morning hours of June 23rd, 2025.
We are reminded of something our Dad said in times like this, "The Circle of Life." She was a strong-spirited and independent person, ahead of her time in many ways. She figuratively "paddled her own damn canoe" until she couldn't anymore. She will be missed, and the stories will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Gloria was born on August 5th, 1942, to Eileen (Fetters) and Jacob Baggenstoss in Hill City, Minnesota. Her Father was killed in the Pacific in November 1942 without ever holding his baby daughter. Gloria's Mother, like many women at that time, went to California to work in war industries, leaving Gloria in the care of her grandmother, Ida (Mercier) Fetters. Eileen returned to Hill City and rejoined Gloria when the War ended.
Gloria was a bright and precocious child, learning to read by age 4. Her teachers were reportedly challenged to keep her engaged, often leading to hallway time and having her desk placed next to the teacher. She was famous for frequently absconding from school to her Grandmother's house for cookies & milk.
Gloria graduated from Hill City High School in 1960 as the Salutatorian of her class. One of her favorite stories involved her and her classmates swimming out to touch the remaining ice on Hill Lake near the end of their Senior year.
Her Father Jake's sacrifice allowed her to attend college under the GI Bill while still drawing a survivor's benefit. She first entered Marquette University in the Fall of 1960 and then transferred to Bemidji State College (Go Beavers!) when the State of Minnesota enacted additional benefits for the children of servicemen killed in action. She graduated with Honors in 1964. She was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college.
In Bemidji, Gloria met Marvin and, finding him able to put up with her antics (he was a man of good humor and great patience!), chose him as her partner in life. Gloria and Marvin were married June 8th, 1963, in Hill City Minnesota.
After college, Gloria and Marvin eventually settled down with their growing family in Hibbing Minnesota. Lauren arrived in 1964, Susan in 1966 and Joseph on Christmas day in 1971.
Once her children were all in school, Gloria went to work as a Field Director for the Northern Lakes Girl Scout Council, which was based in Hibbing. She travelled all over Northern Minnesota coordinating Girl Scout troops and training leaders. One accomplishment she was proud of is organizing funding and establishing comprehensive Girl Scout programs for Ojibwa girls living on reservations. She also led troops in Hibbing Our garage was a Girl Scout cookie depot every year.
The massive downturn of the mining industry forced Gloria & Marvin to relocate to the Osseo-Maple Grove area in 1987. Gloria became a Training Director for the Greater Minneapolis Girl Scout Council. Instead of roaming the north woods, she found herself traipsing about the Twin Cities on behalf of the Girl Scouts. When her vision deteriorated, Marvin retired and became her driver. She retired from the Girl Scouts in July 2008 but remained a lifetime Member of GSUSA.
When we lost Marvin in 2010, Gloria moved to Long Prairie, Minnesota and remained there for the remainder of her life.
Girl Scouting wasn't just a job or career for Gloria; it was a lifetime commitment to which she dedicated her many powers & skills. We have heard from many of her former colleagues who described her as a valued and respected Leader, Mentor, Advocate and Friend.
She enjoyed many pastimes. She was a skilled seamstress and knitter Everybody got a knit, personalized Christmas stocking (visible in her picture). Gloria was a voracious reader, especially mysteries She belonged to reading clubs everywhere she lived. As a child of the North, she was taught to gather wild foods and continued to do so as she was able.
Gloria supported many causes and organizations; among those that were close to her heart were St. Mary's Mission at Red Lake and Veterans. She became a member of the ACLU in the 1960s and remained both a member and fierce advocate for Human rights throughout her life.
Gloria is survived by her children, Lauren (Christine) Hebert of Long Prairie, Susan (Bobby) Burns of Midlothian, Texas, and Joseph (Janene) Hebert of Maple Grove; Siblings, Patricia (David) Wagner of Vadnais Heights and James Bergeron of Isanti; grandchildren, Christopher Burns, Amber (Joshua) Ayers, William, Jacob, Abigail (Fiancé Hagen Gamradt) and Evan Hebert; great-grandchildren, Chloe, Bailey and Shelby, Sisters In Law Ellie Hebert and Mary Ann Hebert-Baldwin as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Marvin, and her brother, Anthony Bergeron.
Gloria's family & Friends will celebrate her life and bury her with Marvin at Fort Snelling National Cemetery later this summer.
We would like to thank the many people who cared for Gloria in this last chapter of her life, including the staff at Meadow Place Assisted Living, Centracare EMTs, and Centracare Hospital Long Prairie. You are all beautiful, caring people and you are appreciated!
Memorials she would appreciate include:
Girl Scouts River Valleys (Twin Cities Metro) https://www.girlscoutsrv.org/
Girl Scouts Lake & Pines (Central & Northern Minnesota) https://www.girlscoutslp.org/
St. Mary's Mission, Red Lake https://www.stmarysmission.org/
American Civil Liberties Union https://www.aclu.org/
The Audubon Society https://www.audubon.org/
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gloria, please visit our floral store.