Memorial will honor Lauters' lifetime love of museum

Laura Lauters died Tuesday at 101 years of age. The Le Mars native will be remembered for her dedication to the Plymouth County Museum at a memorial service 11 a.m. Saturday at the museum. [Click to enlarge]

Lauters, 101, died peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 30 at her grandson's home in Fremont, Neb.

She will be remembered at an 11 a.m. memorial service Saturday at the the museum.

"She used to be a cheerleader," said Judy Bowman, museum administrator. "That's what she was all the time for the museum."

Mary Adler, Lauters' daughter, said her mom lived so many years because she kept her mind busy, remained interested in the community and active at the museum.

Lauters also enjoyed playing bridge and pinochle, doing crossword puzzles and reading.

"She loved to read "Reader's Digest,"' Adler said. "She would read them from cover to cover."

But Lauters' main focus throughout the years was her dedication to the museum, which she helped start in 1965 as a member of the charter board.

"She would talk about that first year," Bowman said. "It gave her a real sense of pride to be in that old school building with all those memories."

Before it housed the museum, that building, at 335 First Ave. S.W., was Le Mars Central High School from which Lauters graduated in 1923.

Glada Koerselman, a Le Mars native, who was on the museum's charter board and volunteered at the museum with Lauters throughout the years, said Lauters will be missed.

"I'm really saddened to see Laura leave us," Koerselman said. "She always knew who you were. When you get up advanced in age, that's pretty interesting."

Lauters stayed involved with the museum's happenings as the years passed, even after moving to Fremont, Neb. in March to live with Adler.

"Laura most recently agreed to give enough money to purchase a grandfather clock. That clock is in our main hallway," Bowman said. "It was purchased for our New Year Eve's ball, and will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the museum."

Koerselman hopes the clock will be given back to the museum and named after Lauters.

"She just never gave up," Koerselman said. "She was steadily interested in this project called the Plymouth County Historical Museum."

Lauters also gave the museum $10,000 to help create the Study Hall exhibit, which is still being built, and until this summer made sticky rolls to sell at the Country Store during the Plymouth County Fair, Bowman said.

Lauters also volunteered at the museum doing whatever needed to be done like dusting the exhibits.

"She always brought some old hose to dust with. She always told us those (panty hose) were the best things to use," Bowman said. "She did a lot of little things and she also did those big things."

Bowman said she was happy the museum board was able to honor Lauters when she turned 100 years old in 2006 with a birthday party.

"She was a very, very humble person," Bowman said. "She was so modest about her 100th birthday party. It was a great time."

In addition to donating time and money, making sticky rolls and volunteering at the museum, Lauters will also be remembered for her nylon scrubbers.

"We sold them at the fair. We have them here in the museum at our gift shop, and they are in other shops around town," Bowman said. "I use mine every time I do dishes."

Lauters leaves behind seven grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, nine great-great grandchildren and Adler, one of three children.

Adler said her mom's long life was also a result of "good genes" as Lauters' dad lived to be 89 and her aunt lived to be 104.

Not only Lauters' family history, but also her museum and community work attributed to her long life.

"There were so many facets to her life," Adler said. "She was a very dedicated, loving, forgiving, inspiring individual."