Laura Mae (Cauffman) Elliott

There was a huge party in heaven on Wednesday, September 3rd when the last of the most fun, most caring generation was complete as “Granny” returned to the arms of all the angels in heaven that were waiting to celebrate. We’re pretty sure it started with a Euchre game (cheating involved) around a table of heavy smoke that included drinking a little beer, followed by a night of dancing to country music. Granny had her western wear and her cowboy boots on as she paraded around the dance floor to “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and landed in Dad’s arms at the end of the night, dancing to “The Dance”, which was the last song they danced to together, 35 years ago.

Laura Mae (Cauffman) Elliott passed away, surrounded by her kids and grandkids who were so blessed to have her for almost 96 years. She was born on a farm in Woodman on December 5th, 1929, to Lee and Laura (Baker) Cauffman, the baby of ten kids. She often spoke of the great depression, remembering sitting under the kitchen table as a little girl, listening to her mom cry because “she had no food for her babies”. Even back then, with no money, it was important to her parents that all her siblings finished high school. Her dad rented an apartment in town for her and her older sisters, Gin and Mabel, in order for them to make it to school safely in the dead of winter. She proudly graduated from Boscobel’s historic high school in 1947.

Mom met Dad at a dance above the Regenerations building. He had returned from the war, injured, and had bought a brand-new car. Mom thought she was the bee’s knees driving around in it. When Dad proposed to her, she must have wanted a summer wedding, but Dad told her it was “now or never”. And the love story began. Allen and Laura were married on December 17, 1947. Wayne showed up the next year, followed by five more. Most of us were born in September and Mom always said it was because of all the Christmas party celebrations. 😊

Raising their family, Mom and Dad had their hands full. They worked so hard, with Dad working the day shift and Mom working the evening shift as a nursing assistant. When she moved into the nursing home in March of 2014, she felt like she was home because many of the staff she had worked with in the 1970s and 1980s were still there and were so very kind to her in her final years. Granny loved her family so much and loved it when we would “break her out of the nursing home” to go to the Pour House. She’d sit in between all of us with one glass of tap beer and eat 75 bowls of popcorn, with a smile on her face, as she was so proud of the family that she had raised with Dad. She was the best Granny, taking good care of her grandkids, singing songs (She was tone deaf!) and spouting off her one-liners that will forever make us smile.

Granny had a “hoarding problem”, as she attended every auction. She was known to stand in the front row and buy boxes and boxes of junk and haul it home in her red truck that she loved. She would go to “garbage” sales, as Dad called them, and come rushing in, putting her bags around the corner so Dad wouldn’t see all the stuff she bought. She loved to drive around in the country, picking wildflowers, but only if Dad pulled over. His car never went on gravel, and he would pull over just a little bit, then take off when Mom thought she was going to get to pick flowers. They were honestly a match made in heaven and, as their kids, we were honored to take good care of Dad’s most precious gift, Mom, as we loved her up for him for all the years they couldn’t be together. As their kids, we knew we were never rich in money, but we were rich in love and blessed to have each other to lean on.

Mom leaves behind her six kids: Wayne (Sue), Diane (Gary) (Merwin) Johnson, Steve, Cheb (Terri), Darcy (Matt) Wiegel, and Bean (Denise) (Dean) Fisher, 10 grandkids: Daniel (Erica) Merwin, Bomber (Heather) Merwin, Stephanie “Missy” (Dirk) Brown, Chad Elliott, Jason (Amy) Elliott, Brittney Elliott, Rachel (Phil) Tamling, Sami (Alysia) Borowski, Jordan “Jay” (Noelle) Borowski, Brady (Chris Schmitz) Borowski, many loved great-grandkids and great-great grandkids, along with many nieces, nephews, and family.

She was the last of all of her siblings and in-laws-all 36 aunties and uncles. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Allen, beautiful granddaughter, Lisa (Ward) Griswold, son-in-law, Steve (Homer) Merwin, her 9 siblings: Cora (Lester) Goodrich, Iva (Paul) McLean, Mabel (Carl) Frey, Virginia (Lloyd) Toberman), Lester (Emily) Cauffman, Hazel (Leonard) Galer, Jackie Cauffman, Agnes Cauffman, and Marcella (Charlie) Coleman; Dad’s 9 siblings: Marion (Howard) McKnight), Dorothy (Vernon) Kjos, Joanne (John) Trumm, Jimmy (Betty) Elliott), Evelyn (Bob) Calvert, Bernard “Red” Elliott, Bernice (Lenny) Galer, Annie (Kenny) Kauffman, and Carol Jean (Glen) Marks.

A celebration of life will be held on October 11th at the Woodman Community Hall from 3-9 pm, with Mom’s nephew, Bobby Galer, entertaining us, as Mom would love. Please come as you are (or in western wear and boots) as we all need to be comfortable dancing in Mom’s memory. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request memorials sent to any of the following of your choosing: Boscobel VFW or American Legion, Grant County Cancer Coalition, or Wisconsin River Trail Organization in Laura’s loving memory.

The family would like to extend our most heartfelt thank you to Laurie Ralph, who is such a blessing to our family, St Croix Hospice, and Boscobel Care and Rehab staff for taking good care of our Mama.