Laureen Adele Thompson was born October 27, 1956 in Arborfield, Saskatchewan. She was the 6th child of 8 in the Thompson family. They lived on a farm in Clashmore up until Laureen was two years old when they moved to a small house in Arborfield. At the age of 6, Laureen and her family moved to the house we all know as Grandma Myrtle’s house that is now Ryan and Leah’s home.
Her elementary and high school years were spent at Arborfield School. Upon graduation she won the general proficiency award for grade 12 and was the valedictorian. She thought about being a teacher but didn’t really know what to do especially with everything costing so much. Her dad suggested that going to business college would make it easy to get a job and I guess he was right. After graduation, she moved to Saskatoon with Kelly and Barbara and took an office stenographer course at Saskatoon Business College in 1974. She would walk every day to school from Cumberland Avenue to downtown Saskatoon even during the winter. After finishing the course, Laureen moved to Nipawin and started working as a secretary at the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Laureen worked at the Scotiabank from 1975-1984. In 1977, Dave moved back home to Nipawin and his dad, Sandy, started sending him into the bank more often so he had an excuse to talk to Laureen. Soon they started dating and the rest is history. They married on July 3, 1982. Sheena was born in 1984, Tiffany in 1986 and Spencer in 1990. Laureen left her job at the bank after having her first child and stayed home to raise her children and continued to help Dave in many supportive ways in the office and on the farm. When the kids hit high school, Laureen worked for a short time at the United Church and then at L.P. Miller High School until 2013. Laureen loved to shop, interior decorate, fish, spend time at the lake, go on trips, cook, go to exercise group, and curl. Trips were always with Dave and the highlights were the Ireland and Australia trips. She spent countless hours making figure skating costumes, driving the kids to all their sports and activities and being their biggest supporter. Lots of summers were spent poolside watching and volunteering with the Nipawin Lions Swim Club. Becoming a grandma was one of the greatest joys of Laureen’s life. Grandma Laureen was known by the grandkids for her amazing baking, silly jokes, her contagious laugh and warm hugs. On top of being the best mom and grandma, she was also an amazing wife to Dave being his partner in life until the end.
Laureen will be greatly missed by her husband of 40 years Dave Maxwell,
children Sheena (Adam) Fenwick of Saskatoon, Tiffany (Colin) Rohel of Saskatoon, and Spencer (Veline) Maxwell of Nipawin, grandchildren Owen and Shaelyn Fenwick, Eva and Samuel Rohel and Everett, Theodore and Maeve Maxwell, niece Carla-Jean (Devin) MacAuley and Georgia/Daphne, nephew Casey Thompson, sister Rose (Roy) Thesen- Glen, Eric, John, Shannon, Karl, Tanya, sister Myrna (Dan) Oakes- Aaron, Sari, Carlene, brother Nels (Daryl) Thompson- Melanie, Lyndon, Corol, brother Lyle (Gloria) Thompson- Darcy, Jason, Trina, sister in law Barb Thompson- Carrie, Jeff, Joel, brother Ryan (Leah) Thompson- Jade, Phillip, sister Nadine (Barry) Ralph- Nolan, Colin, Renai, numerous extended family and many special friends that are like family.
She was predeceased by her parents Myrtle and Walter John (Jack) Thompson, parents in law Samuel (Sandy) and Gladys Maxwell, brother Kelly Thompson, sister in law Carol Maxwell and nephew Warren Thompson.