Laurel Perry

Laurel Beckstead Perry

July 28, 1934 ~ November 16, 2021

Our dear mother, Laurel Beckstead Perry, peacefully left this life on the afternoon of November 16, 2021 in Pueblo, Colorado. Laurel was born July 28, 1934 in Preston, Idaho, to Carl Foster and Vida Roskelley Beckstead. She was born into a farming family, the fifth child of eight, the youngest being the only boy. She grew up in Whitney, Idaho, and graduated from Preston High School.

In September 1953, she married Mark Joseph Perry of Ashton, Idaho. Their marriage was blessed by six children, three girls,  Marcene, Valynn, and Alyce, then a boy, Martin and two more girls, Roseanne and Lauri Jo. The marriage ended in 1980. Laurel married Richard Dean Logan of Garland, Utah in 1984. They loved to square dance and made many friends in the different clubs they attended. After their marriage ended, Laurel moved to Stafford, Virginia in 1988.

She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved working with the Young Women as Sports Director and Camp Director. For many years she and her sister, Carolyn Schofield, refereed basketball games from Roy to Bountiful with the Young Women’s program. She also taught Sunday School for the youth and was a ward librarian. After retirement she was blessed to be a Temple Worker in the Ogden Utah Temple.

Laurel had the opportunity to attend both Ricks College and Weber State College.

In her early life in Idaho, she had the opportunity to work on many different farms, especially during harvest season. While a resident of Clearfield, Utah, Laurel owned a Wedding Arts Business with her nephew Jeffrey Schofield. She also worked at the Freeport Center, IRS, and Hill Air Force Base. When she moved to Virginia she worked for the US Marine Corps at Quantico until retirement in 2000.

Laurel loved to sew. She taught sewing at 4-H. She sewed holiday outfits for her children. Some of her most beloved creations are wedding quilts for her grandchildren, and baby quilts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She loved music and dance and made sure her family participated in both. Music was always playing in her home, her favorite singers being Johnny Mathis and Andy Williams. Because of her love of dance, while married to Mark, they were Stake Dance directors for over 20 years. They organized many youth dances and took many groups of dancers to the All-Church Dance Festivals in Salt Lake City. Many of these performances were originals where she was both choreographer and costume designer.

She loved activities with her family, most memorable being traveling to stay with her children, highly competitive card games of all kinds, bowling to show her amazing skills, and food afterwards at Utah Noodle.

Laurel was preceded in death by both parents, six sisters, and only brother. She is survived by her children, Marcene (Donald) Belche, Tucson AZ; Valynn (Bruce) Church, Phoenix AZ; Alyce (James) Paul Pueblo CO; Martin (Martha) Perry Stafford VA; Roze (Terry) Martin Pahrump NV; and Lauri Jo (Benjamin) Rhoades Dundee MI; 25 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Lindquist’s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch, 1718 Combe Rd. Friends may visit with family on Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.