Julia Lopez Herrera Alexander-Blomgren, resident of Dewey-Humbolt, Arizona, formerly of Yakima, Washington, passed away on the 7th of October 2020 at Flagstaff Medical Center at the age of 83 years.

Juliana Lopez Herrera, always known as Julia, was born in Flagstaff, Arizona on January 7th, 1937. She was the 13th child in a family of 15 children. She grew up in Flagstaff and has fond memories of playing with her siblings when she was young. However, after her mother died when she was 11, Julia had to stop going to school and begin working.

She worked in a small country store, her Grandmother’s restaurant, and in a hospital until she married her first husband, Victor Muñoz, in May 1955. They welcomed their first child, Phyllis, in February 1956. However, they were divorced shortly after Phyllis was born and Julia married Howard Alexander and welcomed his two children, Richard and Rhonda, and together had three more children, Christina, Jennifer, and Howard. They lived in Weiser, Idaho, until they were transferred to Washington state and lived in Burlington, Bellingham, Moses Lake, Aberdeen, and Yakima.

Yakima was Julia’s home for 29 years, and her favorite place. There she found friends that would become family and support her through the loss of her husband, Howard, in February 1988. Thankfully, fate smiled upon Julia and she found love again. Julia and Glen were married and sealed for time and all eternity on September 9th, 1989 in the Seattle Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Julia was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 5th, 1958 and the gospel was a defining attribute in her life.

Julia was always a hard-worker and fiercely loved those in her life, her family, friends, and day care kids. She lived to serve and take care of those around her. She loved learning new things and with Glen’s help she was able to complete classes and receive her GED at the age of 55, one of her proudest accomplishments. Julia was a natural teacher and she and Glen could always be found teaching others how to dance, it is how they kept themselves young at heart.

When asked if she had a life motto, Julia responded saying, “I believe family comes first before anything else. When you start something, finish it, and do the best you can. And never let a day go by without saying your prayers.”

Julia will be greatly missed, but never forgotten, by her eternal companion and husband, Glen Blomgren; her children Richard Alexander, Christina [Mike] Munson, Jennifer [Chuck] Smith, and Howard [Jeanie] Alexander; her siblings Patrick, Lydia, Isabel, and Aurelia; and a large and loving posterity of 35 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Julia is welcomed into Heaven by her parents, Pascual and Julia Herrera; her siblings Miguel, Eleuto, Ernest, Elvira, Enriquetta, Veronica, and Leopoldo; her husband Howard Alexander; her daughters Rhonda Alexander and Phyllis [Terry] Lybbert; her daughter-in-law Eloisa [Howard] Alexander; her grandchildren Ricky [Richard] Alexander, Polly [Jennifer & Chuck] Smith, and Felicia [Phyllis and Terry] Lybbert; and her great grandchild Lincoln [April & Brett] Henry.

Memorial Services will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2020 at Mortimer Farms in Dewey, Arizona at 1pm. The address is 12907 E. State Route. 169, Dewey, Arizona 86327 and all are invited.

An additional viewing and memorial service will be held in the Selah Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, October 17th, 2020 at 10:30am, after which Julia will be laid to rest at West Hills Memorial Park in Yakima, Washington.