Obituary of Laura Huber Parshall

Laura Huber Patchin Parshall passed away Friday, December 3, 2021, at the age of 100. She was born October 11, 1921, in Lind, Washington, to Natalia “Nettie” and John Huber. She was the youngest of seven children.

Laura and her siblings spent most of their childhood years on the family’s northeast Olympia berry farm, and she vividly recalled helping her parents in the berry fields alongside her brothers and sister, starting at the age of three. This was during the Great Depression, when times were hard for everyone. Despite this, Laura had many fond memories of her childhood. She often talked about the large, generous meals her mother prepared for the family, as well as anyone else who happened to stop by. Attending church was also a major part of Huber family life, which impacted Laura for the rest of her life.

Laura often described how she and her friends made up games to play in lieu of playing with toys. One of these games involved Laura and a friend lying down in the middle of the road for about an hour – just to see what would happen. That game ended when they were nearly run over by one of her older brothers as he was driving home. She and her friend got a tongue-lashing from her brother they never forgot – but he never told their parents, knowing they would be punished if he did. She and her girlfriends also had fun dressing up kittens as babies and pushing them down the street in baby carriages.

When Laura got older, she went to beauty school and opened her own beauty shop, where she enjoyed styling hair, doing nails, and making friends. During this time, she married Lyle Patchin, and they had a son, Gary, who passed away in an accident at the age of four. About 10 years later, they had their oldest daughter, Sandy, followed three years later by another daughter, Tami. Laura stopped working at the beauty shop to focus on raising her family.

Together, Lyle and Laura started several successful Olympia furniture businesses, including Warehouse Furniture and Furniture Center of Olympia. They built several homes together over the years before eventually divorcing.

Laura enjoyed tending to her home and family. She was a wonderful gardener and enjoyed growing and arranging her many beautiful flowers. She spent long hours working in her yard, making it a neighborhood showplace. She possessed a real talent for both interior and exterior design that was expressed in her lovely, inviting home and beautiful yard.

She also loved to cook and entertain, especially for family members. Most holidays were spent with family around her dining table, where she served huge and delicious meals. She had a work ethic that wouldn’t quit, and it was difficult to get her to sit down and relax.

Laura also had a wicked sense of humor and loved playing practical jokes on people. April Fools’ Day was one of her favorites and she liked to tell stories about how she “got” people year after year. Of all the holidays, Laura enjoyed Christmas the most. She loved decorating her home and always put up several Christmas trees and outdoor decorations.

In 1983, Laura married Tom Parshall. They enjoyed many happy years together, dancing, cross country skiing, motorcycle-riding, and hosting family events. Tom and Laura later moved to an assisted living facility. After Tom passed away in 2019, multiple falls forced Laura to move to an adult family home, where she remained for the last year and a half of her life. There she was pampered and well cared for by wonderful caregivers who loved her, and whom she loved in return. The family would especially like to thank the superb caregivers at Infinite Care Adult Family Home in Lacey.

Laura was preceded in death by her parents and all of her brothers and sister (Reuben, Herb, Leo, Alvin, Leonard, and Gertrude); her son, Gary; her husband, Tom; her former husband, Lyle; and many close friends. She is survived and mourned by her daughters and sons-in-law Sandy Ledesma (Rob) and Tami Dahlgren (Curtis); her grandchildren, Caitlin Stugelmeyer (Brian), and Adam Dahlgren (Mariah); two great-grandchildren, Booker and Wesley Stugelmeyer; stepson, Steve Parshall (Valya) and stepdaughter, Susan Wells (Clifford); and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family members and friends.

Laura was a woman of faith and is now with Jesus, enjoying a long awaited reunion with her husband, Tom, and many other loved ones who passed away before her. She is no longer trapped in her body, is free of her wheelchair, and is able to walk and dance once again, as she so longed to do.

A memorial service for Laura will be planned for a later date, and family and friends will be notified. If you would like to honor Laura's life, the family would love for you to donate to a charity of your own choosing in her memory.

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