JACOB - Laura Emelyn Jarrett Brush, April 11, 1928 – August 5, 2022

Laura Emelyn Jarrett Brush was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 11, 1928, one of six children of Emma (Linn) and Park Jarrett.  She grew up in Jones Ridge in Jackson County, Illinois and attended a one-room school and graduated from Gorham High School in 1946. Growing up in rural Illinois during the Great Depression, Laura learned to value people from all walks of life by imitating her community-minded parents.   Whether giving a meal to a hungry traveler or providing medical care to neighbors, the Jarrett's modeled the "it takes a village" mindset that influenced and shaped Laura's life.

She married John Bennett Brush of Raddle on August 24, 1946.  Together, they raised three children. Early in their married life, they lived in Southern Illinois. Most of that time was in Carmi where both John and Laura were very active in their community. Later as John's career with the US Department of Agriculture progressed, they moved several times and they finally ended up at the headquarters in Washington, D.C. During this time and after John's retirement, they lived in Bowie, Maryland for 25 years.

During their retirement years, they moved to Deerfield Beach, Florida in 1992, enjoying international cruises and embracing new friendships with fellow passengers that would last for years. After John passed away in 2005, Laura moved to The Forum, an Independent Living Center in Deerfield Beach.   Laura's natural curiosity about different cultures, lifestyles and "what makes someone tick" made her an excellent listener.  She made the Forum her home and extended her warm brand of hospitality to newcomers.  When she joined the Writers' Club, Laura regaled friends and family with tales from her life.  She wrote about her years as a schoolgirl, a young wife and mother, a grandmother and a citizen of the world.  Simple, charming stories of one extraordinary woman.

The term "housewife" did not quite define all that Laura brought to each new community.  P.T.A chairperson, Sunday School teacher, shut-in visitation volunteer, neighborhood organizer - Laura believed and lived out God's command to "love your neighbor."  When one of John's secretaries lost everything in a fire, John and Laura wasted no time and bought new clothes for the entire family.  Like teammates that play to one another's strengths, John and Laura brought a lot of good to many people.

Laura is survived by a daughter, Anita Fleegal and two sons, Richard and John; two sisters, Edris Twenhafel and Mary Hiebert; seven grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; one great- great-grandchild.  Laura was a member of Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church in Ft. Lauderdale.

Laura made an impact with her life. But even in her last months, she showed her friends and family how to leave this life.  As the effects of Co-vid continued to take a toll on her health, she was hospitalized five different times.  Nurses, physicians, technicians, and the housekeeping staff would regularly comment on her positive spirit and her kindness.  Laura died on August 5 in South Florida.   She will be profoundly missed.

Her ashes will be buried in the Glenn Cemetery in Jackson County, Illinois next to her husband and a son at a later date.

Laura's arrangements are entrusted in Wilson's Funeral Home, Ava, Illinois.