Laura Lucy Mitchell

Laura Lucy Mitchell age 88 of Belle Fourche, died Friday March 13th, 2009 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital. The funeral service will be held 11am Wednesday March 18th, 2009 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Belle Fourche. Visitation will be held 5 to 7 pm Tuesday with an Eastern Star memorial service at 7pm, at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be held in the Knoff Cemetery, located on the Mitchell Family Ranch northwest of Aladdin, WY. Laura Lucy Eckard was born August 30, 1920 in Duncansville, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of John Edwin and Della Martina (Taylor) Eckard. Laura grew up and attended school in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Belle Fourche at the age of 17, where she graduated from high school. On January 26, 1941 Laura was married to Preston Earl Mitchell in Belle Fourche. To this union 4 daughters and 2 sons were born. Following their marriage, Preston and Laura worked side by side their entire married lives on the Mitchell Family Ranch, located northwest of Aladdin WY. Laura worked at the Belle Fourche Hospital for 7 years, retiring in 1982. Preston died in 1991 and shortly afterwards, Laura moved into Belle Fourche due to health concerns, where she has lived since. Laura was a 50 year member of the Eastern Star. While her children were growing up she helped them participate in Job’s Daughters, 4-H Club, FHA and Girl Scouts. She also enjoyed being part of the Aladdin Homemakers and Farm Bureau. Over the years she had attended the Wesleyan Methodist and United Methodist Church, and since 2007 she has been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Laura will be remembered for many things. She was a remarkable woman who was beautiful inside and out. She was a woman of faith and she lived it out most often by the many prayers she prayed for her family. Laura loved her family very much and she was proud of them all. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were very special to her. She was “always there” for all of them and her love was evident in so many ways. She was a gifted seamstress and made many wedding dresses. She also enjoyed quilting. She will be missed greatly by her family. Laura is survived by her daughters, Laura Lee McKenney of Belle Fourche, Rita Ann “Andy” (Albert) Pickerd of Sundance WY, Patricia (Robert “Mitch”) Mitchell of Arlington, WA, Billie (John) Wolter of Denver CO; sons, Preston H. (Patricia) Mitchell of Billings MT, John (Anna) Mitchell of Aladdin WY; sisters, Grace (Donald) Wendt of Rapid City, Mandy Breckke of Marysville WA, Margie Baldwin of Washington State, Nina Allen of Belleview WA; 21 grandchildren; and 34 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, John and Eli Eckard; and sons-in-law, Roy and Leonard McKenney. May God Bless the Memory of Laura Lucy Mitchell. FUNERAL SERVICE 11:00 A.M. – Wednesday – March 18th, 2009 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Belle Fourche, South Dakota OFFICIANT Bishop Danny Oaks Opening Prayer – Ray Hatch Closing Prayer – Jerry Mitchell         MUSIC    Organist – Muriel Bear    Choister – Darla Meyer “Masters Bouquet” - Doreen McKenney, Soloist “In the Garden”, “Amazing Grace” “Nearer My God to Thee” TRIBUTES Preston Mitchell     ~    P.J. Cook CASKETBEARERS Jim McKenney              Todd McKenney              Chris Mitchell   Frank Mitchell            Jacob Mitchell       John Wayne Mitchell Luke Mitchell               Thad Mitchell              Preston Mitchell Wayne Mitchell    Christopher Wolter   John Michael Wolter INTERMENT Dedication of the Grave – Preston Mitchell Knoff Cemetery ~ Mitchell Family Ranch Rural Aladdin, Wyoming