Aurora “Laura” M. Gutierrez, 88, of Sweet Home, Oregon passed away Monday, March 31, 2014 at the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Albany. She was born in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico to Jose Maria and Delfina (Mendoza) Maldonado.

She moved to Los Angeles, California when she was 17 months old. Laura grew up in Los Angeles and married Francisco Gutierrez September 25, 1942 in Yuma, Arizona. They moved to Oregon and lived in Albany until 1947 when they moved to Sweet Home.

After her husband’s disabling logging accident in 1958, Laura started working at the Stayton Cannery; now Norpac. She worked there for 28 years and retired in 1988. Laura was an excellent cook and loved to cook for family and friends. She also liked to play bingo, and enjoyed going to Reno years ago and the local casinos after she retired.

She is survived by: her sons David Gutierrez, Ralph Gutierrez, and Francisco Gutierrez, Jr., all of Sweet Home; daughters Becky and husband Tim Miller and Lupe and husband Larry Wilson, both of Sweet Home; sisters Mary Lopez of Los Angeles, California and Rachel Castaneda of So. El Monte, California; brothers Phillip Maldonado of Norco, California and Raul Maldonado of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; 13 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.

Laura was preceded in death by: her parents, Jose Maria and Delfina Maldonado; children Joe (Chema), Maria Elena, Rafael, Francisco, and Raul who all lost their lives in a tragic house fire in Sweet Home in 1951; and her sisters, Elodia Gutierrez and Alicia Maldonado.

Viewing will be from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., Thursday, April 10, at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel. Funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 11, at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel. A luncheon will follow at Jim Riggs Community Center. Private family burial will be at Gilliland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Laura’s name to Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House, Albany, Oregon.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.