Jose Guadalupe Garza, 63, of Owatonna, died at his home on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 surrounded by his loving family. He was born April 4, 1947 in Driscoll, TX, the son of Ramon and Santos (Vienuera) Garza. In June 1967, Jose was united in marriage to Carmen Perez, his wife of nearly 44 years. Jose and Carmen worked as migrant workers since the 1960s and settled in Minnesota in 1984. They were members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. In their spare time, the couple loved playing slot machines and pressing their luck at the casino. In January 2009, Jose won the jackpot. Jose was a very hard worker, even after he was diagnosed with cancer in June. All his life, he worked on farms, pulling weeds or moving rocks. When he was not working, Jose and his family loved playing on softball leagues in Owatonna, and he was known for hitting homeruns. During football season, Jose always cheered for the Dallas Cowboys, even though some of his family preferred the Minnesota Vikings. He is survived by his wife, Carmen Garza; daughters, Louisa Rodriguez of Owatonna, Ofelia 'Fifi' Cortez of Albert Lea, Lena (Peter) Garza of Owatonna, Leticia Garza of Albert Lea, Maria Garza of Owatonna, and Odilia Garza of Claremont; sons, Jose 'Chivo' Garza, Jr. of Rochester, Martin 'Porky' Garza of Owatonna, Miguel 'Mikey' Garza of Albert Lea, and Alberto 'Caco' (Anna) Garza of Owatonna; sisters, Irene Garza of TN and Natevida Pena of Blooming Prairie; brothers, Thomas Garza of Albert Lea, Ramon Garza, Jr. of Plainview, TX, Jose Garza of St. Peter, and Feliz Ramirez of TN; 29 grandchildren. Jose was preceded in death by his parents; son, Gilberto Garza; sisters, Manuela Ramos and Juana Garza; brothers, Domingo Garza and Julian Garza; one grandchild. Visitation will be at Michaelson Funeral Home on Friday from 4pm to 8pm and also one hour prior to the service at the church. Mass of Christian Burial will be held February 19, 2011 at 11:30am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with The Reverend Ricardo Crespo-Guzman officiating. Interment will be in the St. Columbanus Catholic Cemetery in Blooming Prairie. Visitation: 02/18/2011 16:00 02/18/2011 20:00 Service: and one hour prior to the service at church. 02/19/2011 11:30