It's midday. Laura is working on a crossword puzzle while watching Family Feud. Her phone rings, and on the other end is a member of the congregation informing her of another family facing a hardship. Without reluctance, Laura rushes to succor the family. The person on the phone is never surprised by Laura's call to action. The members of the congregation know they can always count on her to step in where others might stand by. Laura is aglow with the light she gets from another opportunity to provide sanctum to a family in need. She feels alive in her unwavering conviction to serve.

Tuesday, February 8, 1949:

The temperature in Odessa, TX is 34.0 °F. Henry initiates a fire to keep his family comfortable. Mozella, his wife, is expecting their third child. Patricia and Mabel, their first two daughters, are excited. Will it be another girl this time, or their first boy? Whether a boy or a girl, the family prays for a healthy child. Laura makes her grand appearance.

Laura grew up one of seven children in the Johnson household surrounded by an abundance of love. After Laura's birth, Henry and Mozella added four more children to the family with Henrietta, Dave, Ray, and Paula. In 1956, the family moved to Denver, Colorado where Alonzo Patterson, Laura's maternal grandfather, became the minister for Ogden Street Church of Christ. Laura was baptized at an early age and was always grounded in her faith in God. She and her sisters even formed a singing group, making a joyful noise unto the Lord. As an adult, Laura taught children's Sunday school classes. She received her education in Denver Public Schools where she attended Gilpin and Swansea Elementary schools, Smiley Junior High School, and East High School.

Laura met and was courted by Wayne Noon. They were married July 12, 1969, in Tullahoma, Tennessee where, for a short time, they made a life together before returning to Denver. Wayne and Laura added to their family ten years later. First with their son, Thomas, and three years later with their daughter, Carmelita. Thomas and Carmelita were Laura's most cherished accomplishments. After her divorce, Laura worked to support her family as an X-ray Technician at Colorado General Hospital and later as a Seafood Clerk at Safeway Grocery Store where she retired after twenty-five years.

Laura was a member of both the UCFW and the Meat Cutters Union. She was always up for a new adventure and enjoyed vacations and road trips. Laura visited Minnesota, California, and New Orleans. She loved anything Obama. She sang, even if she didn't know the words. She loved baked sweets, action movies (especially Passenger 57), and The Haves and the Have Nots. She loved family, and spending time with them brought her joy, but her heart belonged to her granddaughter Shayla. Laura and Shayla enjoyed watching television, drawing, and those precious moments shared between a grandmother and granddaughter.

On Saturday, July 31, 2021, Laura crossed the Crystal River to greet her loved ones, which include her parents Henry and Mozella Johnson, her grandparents, and her brother Ray. Her life will echo through the lives of her children Thomas Noon (Melody) and Carmelita Strong (Clarence). Her grandchildren Shayla Lewis, Cory Dixon, and Nia Blanks. Her siblings Patricia Sloan, Mabel Younger, Henrietta Falls, Dave Johnson, and Paula Johnson. She is also succeeded by a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Laura will be remembered for her kindness and generosity. She smiled through any situation because she believed in the words recorded in Psalm 23:

1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for though art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: though anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6. Surely goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.