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In memory of

Laura Caroline Smith (Nyland)

Santa Paula, CA, USA

October 2, 1931 - December 21, 2020

Oct 2, 1931 - Dec 21, 2020

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TENACIOUS AND LOVING, HER LEGACY LIVES ON
Laura Caroline Smith (Nyland)
Oct 2, 1931 ~ Dec 21, 2020

She was a complex woman, an introspective thinker who was always in the middle of a new book with a cup of coffee nearby. Although her husband Jim was notorious for his jokes and big smile, Laura made the whole family erupt in laughter at her quick wit. She was an independent woman with a straight-from-the-hip direct style of speaking. Laura was a lovely combination of spit fire and kind soul. Her sharp humor was softened by a heart of gold. Always welcoming, she was an excellent mother to more than their 8 children, their spouses, 20 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren.

Laura was the kind of woman who showed up for her family and extended family unconditionally. She made a great impact on many people. She welcomed her children back, their childhood friends, nieces, and grandchildren when they needed a home, for as long as they needed through the years. She didn’t question much, offered advice sparingly, and could be blunt when she felt the need, but gave others the benefit of the doubt and time to work out their problems. One granddaughter recalling a dark time in her teens, remembers her grandma, “made me feel so loved at a time I felt like nothing.” Her middle daughter Cindy also feels grounded in her mother’s love, recalling her greetings through the years, she was always happy to see her, “I'm so glad you're here,’ That phrase accompanied every hug after I was grown,” remembers Cindy. Second oldest, Brenda, the only brunette of her children (5 red heads and two blonds), with a striking resemblance to Laura’s Mom Sigrid, feels the same, “She was always just so happy to see me and wrap her arms around me. That's what I will always remember.”

“Try to walk in the shoes of someone else before you react,”she told her son James when he’d explain an issue he was having. “She told me that the world isn’t against me, that I should consider that they may be having a hard time in their own life and not to take stuff so personal, don't let it get me down. I've tried keep that philosophy,” recalls James about the impact his mother had on him.

Laura Caroline Smith’s life began far from the sunny small town of Santa Paula, She was born Oct. 2, 1931 the 14th of 15 children to a first generation Norwegian father; Bottholf Nyland and Norwegian mother Sigrid Nyland (Vogt) who immigrated from Oslo, Norway and settled in North Dakota. Laura graduated from North Dakota’s Edgeley High School in 1948. She married her sweetheart Jim (Paul James Smith) soon after he returned from his Naval Service during the Korean War in 1952. They were married at the basilica of St Mary’s in Minneapolis on Halloween (the groom’s birthday). She was elegant and stylish in her 50’s tea length full tulle skirt and lace bolero bodice dress, with swing back white satin shoes and a short veil. She maintained her svelte 5’ 2” petite figure her entire life.

Laura and Jim had three daughters in their first three years of marriage in three different states; Sheila was born in Minnesota, Brenda in Los Angeles, and Juliann on a farm in Illinois. Then they returned to Minnesota in 1957. While her husband worked all day, Laura took care of the home and children and worked nights at a chicken restaurant saving her tips and income to make the down payment on their new home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

“Yes, I remember Mom telling us she saved to buy that house,” recalled daughters Brenda and Jennifer. “That was an accomplishment she was very proud of,” echoed Sheila and Juliann. Between 1959 - 1966, Cindy, David, Jennifer and James were born. Dinner with the whole family around the table wasn’t just for holidays it was every night in the Smith household, remembers all the children. During those years the couple ran their Smith Dairy store in Minneapolis, with Laura doing the bookkeeping. Additionally, they were in partnership with others in Paul and Larry’s market, before her husband Jim (Paul) got the itch to travel.

Tired of shoveling snow and to be close to his two brothers, Tom and Bob who were living in California, they sold the businesses, and loaded up the family in their red station wagon with a camper trailer behind and moved the family of 9 to California. The great adventure of the summer of 1967 camping all the way west is a cherished family memory. Soon after they settled in Santa Paula in a big Victorian house on Santa Paula Street. They enjoyed riding their quarter horse ‘June’ they kept out at the stables in Wheeler Canyon, and dancing to swing music, doing the Lindy and all the jitterbug steps at the bowling alley in Santa Paula like they did when they met in the early 50’s. “They’d dance everyone off the dance floor,” remembers their oldest daughter Sheila who worked at the bowling at the time. Their youngest daughter Andrea was born in 1973 making the family complete at an even 10.

Christmas 1989 she wrote a “Once Upon a Time...” story and gave it to all her children tied with a red ribbon titled, “The Red Stockings.” She told the story of their small family’s humble beginnings on a farm in Illinois, and she continued onto more prosperous times in Minnesota and California yet never forgetting those precious lessons and memories. Her story passes on the traditions of making a warm home and handmade gifts and red Christmas stockings for the children, “with all traditions of love, caring and sharing that went into the Christmas of the first red stockings,” She signed it, “With love, Mom”

“She would stay up at night and sew us Barbie clothes to give us at Christmas, always such a surprise because we never saw her do it,” remembered Brenda. Cindy continues that tradition of sewing Barbie clothes with bits of velvet, satin and tulle. “She was always sewing our school uniforms and most of our clothes,” recalls her daughter Sheila. She loved to collect fabric and made quilts for the grandchildren. She taught many of her daughters to sew or crochet with Jennifer and Cindy especially continuing the tradition with their families and community sewing masks during the pandemic. Michelle, David’s wife shared moms love for shopping for fabric.

“She went to art school at Ventura College when I was in junior high,” remembers daughter Juliann who, inspired by her mother’s creative spirit and talent, became an artist painting portraits and seascapes like her mother. All Laura’s children and grandchildren received her artistic legacy, each creating drawings, paintings, woodworking, crafts, sewing, crochet, handicrafts, writing or poetry, some as a hobby and others professionally.

Laura was also a woman of sorrows losing the love of her life in December 1982, Jim (Paul James Smith) at age 52 to a seven-month-long battle with cancer. The same night her father died in North Dakota. Laura’s mother died when she was 15 after a long illness, so she had become independent at a young age. Stoic, she soldered on for her children and grandchildren. She became a long-term home health caregiver for an elderly couple in the Oaks and after they passed she cared for a nearly blind woman on Santa Paula street.

Seven years ago she began slipping into the first stages of dementia. Daughters Jennifer and Andrea (Andi) cared for her as her health declined. Andi lived with her for her last 11 years and cared for her daily during her final 7-year long journey of dementia. Sons David and James were also a constant delight visiting often and helping support their sisters, as did the grandchildren that lived nearby. The older daughters visited on holidays and when they could, always staying close.

Tragically the family gathered in Santa Paula in September 2019, when her oldest son, David suddenly died after a series of strokes. The brothers and sisters spent quality time together with their mom, his wife Michelle and their children and each other for several months grieving and sharing. It was a blessed time all together before the COVID 19 lock down began.

On December 21, 2020 Jupiter and Saturn, the two brightest and largest gas planets in our solar system, appeared closer together in the sky than at any time in the past 400 years, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event that’s been termed the
“Great conjunction.” It was on this day in the midst of the Covid pandemic Laura peacefully passed on to her graduation to the heavenlies. The brightest star of the Smith family will continue to shine, her voice will live on in the lives and hearts of her family. Laura’s battle with dementia was over, thankfully she remained lucid up until the end, always recognizing her children. Thanks to technology, all 7 remaing children, and their children (her grandchildren) were able to gather at her bedside (some via zoom) for the last three days up until she passed.

Because of the Covid19 Lockdown and its social distancing protocols, Laura's Memorial service was put on hold but is now scheduled for Saturday, June 12 at 2 pm Catalyst Church, 241 N. Mill Street in Santa Paula. Friends and family are invited to gather with or without masks. There is plenty of space if you want to social distance.

Laura has rejoined her husband, the love of her life together again dancing in heaven free from pain. She is also preceded in death by their son David, daughter Theresa, granddaughter Ashley, and all 14 of her brothers and sisters, Eleanor, Nils, Mabel, Oscar, Glenna, Juliette, Arne, Bernice, Dena, Grant, Clifford, Viola, Wilber. Her youngest sister MaryAnn passed during the pandemic in 2020 leaving her as the last remaining sibling.

She is survived by her loving children; son, James Paul (Melissa) Smith; daughters, Sheila (Gary) Lawrence, Brenda (Tim) Woodward, Juliann Smith, Cynthia (Jim) Price, Jennifer (Augie) Reyes, and Andrea Hurtado, Michelle Smith; granddaughters Daisha (Karlo), Jerica, Miranda, Hannah (Noel), Megan (Tony), Maggie, Cami (Keven), Olivia (Ryan), Racheal, Brittney (Joshua), and Haley; grandsons, Sam (Katie), Jake (Melissa), Dexter, Talon, MacKenzie, Nathan, Roberto, Aaron, Kenny, Jason, Shawn, Erica; and great grandchildren; Dylan, Alex, Holly, Sofia, Brenden, Mark, Audriana, Liliana, Ryan, Ryder, Jaxon, Levi, Gavin, Briana and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.

The family gives a special thanks to all the nurses at Los Robles Hospice that came to the home especially Christina Luna (Holladay) and Alex Gelinas for their loving care and support. The family would also like to extend their sincerest gratitude to all friends, family, and those at Catalyst Church for being very accommodating and understanding during this difficult time.

Following the Celebration of her Life Service on Saturday, June 12 at 2 pm there will be a reception in the dining/reception hall at Catalyst Church Hall immediately following the service. Those wishing to sign the guest book and share a toast tribute, a memory may do so that day and continue anytime by visiting and adding comments, stories, or photos on this the memorial website created in honor of Laura.

~ by Juliann Smith, daughter

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