Mary Viola (Nitchals) Laughridge (2007)

LAUGHRIDGE, NITCHALS, WOLVERTON, PALMER, HELDENBRAND

Posted By: Shirley Keating
Date: 8/24/2007 at 17:40:29

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
August 22, 2007

MARY LAUGHRIDGE, EARLHAM

Mary Viola Laughridge, 75, longtime resident of Earlham, died Aug. 15, 2007, at the Mercy Hospice Center in Johnston.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Aug. 18, at Kuhn Funeral Home in Earlham with Justin Laughridge officiating. Burial was at Earlham Cemetery.

Mary Laughridge was born Feb. 1, 1932, in Madison County to Charles and Ella (Wolverton) Nitchals and was a 1951 graduate of Earlham High School. Following her graduation, she worked at the Winterset hospital. She married Charles Laughridge and resided in Waterloo until his sudden death in 1961. She and her children moved back to Earlham where Mary was employed part time at the Earlham Nursing Home and where she later became a full-time certified nurse’s aide, working for over 20 years. She then worked at R&D Engineering in Earlham where she worked for 10 years before retiring in 1998. Mary also was active with both the Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls.

She was preceded in death by her husband.

She is survived by three sons, Chuck Laughridge of Kansas City, Mo., Larry Laughridge of Van Meter and Sam Laughridge of Perry; one daughter, Vickie Palmer of Earlham; a brother, William Nitchals of Rolling Meadows, Ill.; a sister, Wilma Heldenbrand of Des Moines; and 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

------------------------

Earlham Advocate
Earlham, Iowa
August 23, 2007
Page 2

Funeral services were held for Mary V. Laughridge at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at Kuhn Funeral Home in Earlham, Iowa. Justin Laughridge officiated.

Debbie Jones was the organist. Soloist was David D. Kuhn singing “How Great Thou Art” and “Jesus Loves Me”.

Pallbearers were Justin Laughridge, Travis Brott, Brandon Laughridge, Daniel Laughridge, Tyson Wieland, Lew Heldenbrand.

Honorary pallbearers were Gary Speedling, Mike McLaughlin, Rod Ramsey, Nick Boyle Sr., Ron Palmer, Brad Bushong.

Mary V. Laughridge was born the daughter of Charles and Ella Wolverton Nitchals in Madison County, Iowa on February 1, 1932. Mary died at the Mercy Hospice Center in Johnston, Iowa on August 15, 2007 at the age of 75 years, 6 months and 14 days.

Mary graduated from Earlham High School in 1951 and worked at the hospital in Winterset. She married Charles Laughridge and to this union 4 children were born: Chuck, Larry, Vickie and Sam. At age 29 Mary became a single mother of four when Charles Sr. suddenly died in 1961. Living in Waterloo, Iowa the family moved back to Earlham to be closer to family. Mary eventually worked at the Earlham Nursing Home part-time however soon became a full time certified nurses aide where she worked for over 20 years. Mary then went to work at R & D Engineering in Earlham where she worked for 10 years before retiring in 1998.

Mary loved to sew, crochet, and quilt. She made baby quilts for all her grandchildren. She was active with both the boy scouts and the camp fire girls. She loved to garden. She was a good cook and loved to have family over for meals and to spend time with her grandchildren. Mary was also an avid fan of C.S.I. and CBS television “Soap Operas”.

Mary leaves the following to celebrate her life; sons Chuck and wife Diane of Kansas City, Mo; Larry and wife Ruth of Van Meter; Sam and wife Michelle of Perry; daughter Vickie Palmer and husband Ron of Earlham; brother William Nitchals and wife Margaret of Rolling Meadows, IL; sister Wilma Heldenbrand of Des Moines; 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Charles Sr., brother-in-law Joe Heldenbrand and daughter-in-law Jana Laughridge.

Interment was held in the Earlham Cemetery in Earlham, Iowa. Kuhn Funeral Homes was in charge of arrangements.