Laura Friesen

Laura Tieszen Friesen managed to pack two full lives into her 94 years. The first half of her adult life she was a career woman working full-time in pharmacies in Wolf Point, and later Billings, Montana. But working was never the center of her life. It was her activities outside of work that gave her the most satisfaction – helping family, friends and her church. She was always ready to be called on: to sing special music at church, to run a vacation Bible school programs, to serve as a wedding assistant (bridesmaid, food server, whatever was needed), and as aunt-of-all-trades to her country nieces and nephews. She seemed to have an endless source of physical articles – bridesmaid dresses for high school formal occasions, towels for a college-bound student -- and advice to meet every occasion – how to make a perfect bed, how to serve food for guests. Her nieces and nephews all remember her delighting them every Christmas with a perfectly decorated Christmas tree and personally selected extravagant gifts. 

Then at the age of 45 she astonished everyone by announcing she was getting married, to a man she barely knew: Willmer Friesen, a potato farmer from Idaho, the brother of her sister-in-law, a widower with two grown children. She and Willmer were married on March 7, 1975, and she wasted no time embracing her new roles: farmer’s wife, general contractor for the refurbishing of their aging farmhouse, step-mother, and grandmother, plus being an enthusiastic leader of organizations in her new church such as Sunday school superintendent, annual women’s retreat, and vacation Bible school. For the rest of her life she built a solid love bond with Willmer and maintained close relationships with his two children and their families, all the while never losing contact with her siblings, nieces and nephews from her “first life”. 

Laura Marie Tieszen was born in Lustre, Montana, on December 14, 1929, the fifth of six children. She spent all her childhood on a farm close to the Lustre Mennonite Brethren church. She had a happy childhood with a family who prayed together and sang together. She accepted the Lord during a revival service and soon thereafter, she was baptized and joined the church. She attended elementary school eight years at three different one-room schools. When it came time for high school she and her younger sister Adaline attended two years at Lustre Bible School, and then one year at Glasgow high school, living in an apartment walking distance from school. The next year the Lustre Bible School was up and running as an accredited high school and Laura and Adaline were part of the first class. After high school Laura got a job as a nurses’ aide in the Glasgow Francis Mahon Deaconess hospital. 

 On March 8, 1951, her father died suddenly leaving her mother alone on the family farm; Laura agreed to move into a house with her mother in Wolf Point, the town forty miles away. They lived there for 17 years. In 1968 Laura moved to Billings, Montana, where she lived in an apartment until her marriage in 1975. Again, she became involved in a church and made herself available to help her family living in Billings. It was while she was in Billings that a letter arrived from a man called Willmer, and after that, several in-person visits that led to their marriage.

 In 1990, Laura and Willmer’s fifteenth year of marriage, Willmer retired from farming but they continued to live in their home another ten years. During that time they spent several winters in Arizona before moving permanently to a duplex in Kidron Village in North Newton, Kansas in 2000. Here she was closer to her husband’s family: Dale and Connie Friesen in Kansas City, and Margie and Steve Chartrand in Omaha. Once again, Laura threw herself headlong into leadership roles, such as organizing the annual Kidron garage sale, leading women’s devotional times, and being in charge of the arts and crafts display case.

 Willmer was moved into full health care in 2009 where she visited him every day. After his death in May 2011, she remained active taking at least three family trips by herself, plus being the driver for many outings organized by her and her friends. In 2016 she reluctantly moved out of her duplex and sold her car. When she could no longer drive, jigsaw puzzles became her passion – she put together over 100 puzzles, many of which she had framed so she could give them as gifts – as well as playing the game Rummikub, for which she became a formidable opponent.

 She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Willmer, three brothers and one sister, nine sisters-in-law, seven brothers-in-law, one step-son, one step-son-in-law, one niece and one nephew. She is survived by one sister, Adaline Crabtree, her step-daughter, Margie Chartrand, her step-daughter-in-law, Connie Friesen, 33 nieces & nephews, 7 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. 

 Visitation will be held from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, August 11, 2024 at Petersen Family Funeral Home in Newton, Kansas. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday August, 12, 2024 at Kidron Bethel Village Chapel in North Newton, Kansas, with a graveside service following the service at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton, Kansas.

 Memorial contributions can be made out to either Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) or Kidron Bethel Village and left in care of Petersen Family Funeral Home.