Laura Lee Welsh

Laura Lee Welsh (nee Holman) was born in Murray, Salt Lake County, Utah, to Howard Holman and RaNay Humpherys on July 10, 1956. She spent much of her childhood in the coastal cities of Central and Southern California, before moving with her family to Orem, Utah, as a teenager. She graduated from Orem High School in 1974. Soon after she attended cosmetology school. Laura Lee met her husband, Kent James Welsh, when he took a job working at her father's greenhouse, Cascade Gardens. She enjoyed telling the story of how their relationship began. Her dad told her to "cut that young man's hair." Laura Lee did just that, and they began dating soon after. No one else has cut Kent's hair in the years since. Kent and Laura Lee were married in the Provo, Utah, temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 9, 1976. Shortly after their marriage the couple moved to East Lansing, Michigan, where all three of their daughters were born. Eventually the family settled in California, and there they raised their three girls, Jennifer, Melanie, and Erica. Laura Lee and two friends decided to go to nursing school together, and the three were the top of their class. Laura Lee graduated as valedictorian with an Associate of Science degree in Nursing in 1988. She enjoyed her career as an ICU nurse at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital until 1994. Laura Lee had many interests and talents. She was a gifted pianist and had her first calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints playing piano in Primary at the age of 11. She enjoyed sewing, embroidery, smocking, and other heirloom sewing techniques. She made many of her daughters' clothes when they were children and later sewed keepsakes for her grandchildren. Later in life she took interest in quilting and sewed stacks of beautiful quilts to include her masterpiece, a Dear Jane replica quilt intricately pieced over years and composed of over 5600 pieces. She would also crochet, knit, bake, and preserve fruits and vegetables. She learned carpentry and photography while in college. Whenever Laura Lee saw a skill or talent she wanted to learn, she bought the supplies and taught herself how to do it. Her drive and determination inspired others and her daughters especially to follow her lead. Laura Lee was an accomplished teacher, sharing her skills and talents with her children and those beyond her family. Laura Lee learned service from her parents at a young age. Her parents attended the temple regularly, and temple attendance was an important focus for her. She learned genealogy from her father, and it became one of her life's passions. She was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Laura Lee had a dynamic personality. Though she had many health challenges over the past thirty years, she tried not to let that set her back and continued to pursue her hobbies and spend time serving in her church community. After many years suffering from various ailments, Laura Lee passed away on October 24, 2023, in Visalia, Tulare County, California. She is survived by her husband Kent James; her daughters, Jennifer Marie Welsh, Melanie Ann Hobbs (Travis), Erica RaNay McKnight (Peter); her mother RaNay Humphreys Holman; sisters Tyra Suzette Timothy (Brent) and Barbara Kaye Ferguson; brother Logan Stuart Holman; and her grandchildren, Grant, Blake, Hayden and Cosette Hobbs; Savannah Landeros; and Emily, Noah, and Katherine McKnight. She is preceded in death by her father, Howard Holman, sister Venita RaNay Newman, brother Howard Patrick Holman, and her two grandsons, Justin Guillermo Cuauhtemoc and Clay Eric Landeros. The family will receive visitors at a viewing on October 30, 2023 from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM, at Salser and Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 East Caldwell Avenue, Visalia, CA. A funeral will be held on October 31, 2023 at 11:00 AM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4000 West Caldwell Avenue, Visalia, CA. Laura Lee will be interred in Orem, Utah. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Laura Lee Welsh

July 10, 1956 - October 24, 2023