Laurel Anne Davis

Laurel Anne (Dowd) Davis, 55, a resident of Paullina, passed away Sunday, May 18th, 2014, in Orange City, IA.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Thurs. May 22, 2014, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville with Rev. Terry Roder officiating and Rev. David Hemann, Rev. Richard Ball, Rev. Tim Hogan and Msgr. Kenneth Seifried concelebrating.  Burial will be at a later date in the North Lawn Cemetery in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  Visitation will be anytime after 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2014. There will be a parish rosary at 5 p.m., and a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m., all at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville.  Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen, IA.

Laurel Anne Davis was born Oct. 20th, 1958, to Tom and Peggy Dowd in Fort Dodge (IA). She was the third of four children, and the only daughter.

Laurel was a woman of strength and determination, who never let any obstacle stand in the way of her dreams. After graduating from St. Edmond High School of Fort Dodge, during which time she studied abroad in Sweden and Spain, she attended Iowa State University (Ames, IA), where she met the love of her life, Larry Davis, to whom she was married 33 years.  For sixteen years, Larry and Laurel lived in Cresco (IA), followed by two years in South Dakota before moving back to NW Iowa and finally settling in Paullina. They stood by and supported each other in everything they did during their marriage. During those years, Larry and Laurel were blessed with 3 wonderful sons, Alexander (23), Carter (17) and Cooper (15), around whom their lives were centered.

Prior to the birth of her sons, Laurel held a variety of jobs; ranging from utilizing her English and teaching degree, to being a radio dispatcher for the Cresco Police Department. Her first love was teaching, and she had a skill for putting words on paper. She wasn’t afraid to correct anyone on their proper use of grammar and punctuation, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. In everything Laurel did, she never backed down from a challenge, and always incorporated her wit and passion for doing what was right.

After moving to NW Iowa, Laurel became involved with Betty and Dennis Nielsen and the Freedom Quilts Project. This project aimed at providing handmade quilts to Veterans and their families, as well as to families of 9/11 victims. Laurel also helped organize a yearly Okoboji Quilt retreat, since 2004, for 40(+) women who shared in her love of quilting.

For the last four years, Laurel staged a valiant battle against breast cancer. Through all the ups and downs, Laurel was a true warrior, always looking at the positive side of her personal struggle and remaining strong for her family and others. She never let her illness stand in the way of helping others and being a positive influence. She always had a “thank you” and “job well-done” for those helping her, and she never let someone’s efforts go unnoticed. She believed that having integrity is as important as compassion, and that prayer is the most important activity that we do each day.

Laurel is survived by her loving husband, Larry; sons Alex of Overland Park, KS, Carter and Cooper both of Paullina; mother Peggy Dowd of Fort Dodge, IA; brothers Tom (Karen - East) Dowd of Denver, CO, and Rochester, NY, Steve Dowd, and Dan (Karen - West) Dowd both of Scottsdale AZ; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends and “prayer warriors.” She was preceded in death by her father, Thomas J. Dowd.

Casket bearers will be Tom and Dan Dowd, Rick and Jerry Davis, Steve Slifka, and Scott Thomson.

Honorary bearers will be Jane Bischoff, Sheila Slifka, Stephanie Thomson, Bev Meade, Lorraine Peckham, Donna Ascherl, Carol Christoffel, Marlene Haupert, Marci Kreber, Bonnie  Meyer, Diana Wrenn, Peg Koester, Connie Christensen, Steve Dowd, Kyle Slifka, The Mill Creek Women of Paullina.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the family to establish a scholarship in Laurel’s name and to give a portion to Hospice.