Sadly, Laura passed away less than 3 weeks before her 85^th birthday.

Laura is predeceased by her parents and loving husband of almost 59 years, Bob, who died in May of 2016, and brother Jr. She is survived by her four loving children, Rick and his wife Krystal, Donnie, Randy, Jimmy (or Jim) and her beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as her sister Hazel Larson and her husband Harlan, and her niece InaMae and nephew Mike.

When her husband Bob was alive, you can be sure where one was, the other wasn’t too far away. They were Laura and Bob. You couldn’t have one without the other. After his retirement, Bob worked at Lord’s Department store and Laura loved to go sit at the counter and drink coffee and socialize with her friends. Living without Bob for her last 4 years was difficult for her, but with courage and strength and help from loved ones, she carried on.

Aside from being a wife, a mother, a sister, an aunt, a cousin and a friend, Laura made so many people part of her family. She embodied the ideal that family isn’t just who you are related to by blood, but who you are related to by heart. Frances and Matline were as much her sisters as they were close and dear friends. Thank you to her family for sharing her with us all.

Laura loved Christmas and she decorated like there it was going out of style. Her Eggnog, which she was also known for, was possibly the best recipe to be had. Growing up, she always had a house full of people and she loved having family and friends visit to hang out, eat or play cards. She enjoyed playing Poker and Misery. Somehow, Laura came back from more almost losses in Misery. Over and over, she proved that you can't count yourself out, because the game can change with a single draw.

Anyone who went to Laura's house saw the large calendar on her kitchen wall. Without fail, family and friend's birthdays were written down under the appropriate date.  

Laura was stubborn, set in her ways and fiercely independent, but she loved and cared deeply about the people in her life. She loved the visits, the phone calls and the cards she received over the years. Laura was a blessing to all who knew her and she will be missed more than words can say. May she rest in peace, reunited with those who have gone before her, after a life well lived.