Lauralee was the first child of Hugh Williams, a Methodist minister, and his wife Cora. She had two younger sisters, Marguerite ("Peggy") and Nelda, both of whom preceded her in death. They enjoyed family worship in the evenings; this included singing hymns and memorizing Psalms. Lauralee continued to memorize psalms and other portions of scripture throughout all her life.

Growing up in several small towns in Iowa, she enjoyed very healthy locally-grown foods, despite the challenges of the Great Depression; she often wondered how much that quality of fare contributed to her long life and general good health.

She began taking piano lessons at the age of six and proved to be an exceptional talent; she went on to be a piano performance major at college.

Lauralee met her future husband, Lloyd Maudlin, when he moved from Montana to Iowa in grade school. They dated, casually on her part and determinedly on his, until World War II divided them and Lloyd continued wooing Lauralee with wonderful letters for 4 years. They married in 1946 and moved to Los Angeles, California.

Lloyd was able to attend university on the GI Bill, but Lauralee needed to wait for her California residency before continuing her college education. She worked in downtown Los Angeles and gave birth to Craig the following year. Three daughters followed over the next decade, Lynn, Alicia, and Dawn ...and somehow going back to college was never top priority.

Instead, Lauralee turned her prodigious intelligence and skill to serving the local WSCS (Women's Society of Christian Service) and leading multiple Girl Scout troops. In 1954 they shared a home with Lloyd's aunt, Mina May, until her death in 1964. Auntie May was the first of four older women that Lauralee included in her household until their final hospitalizations.

The family traveled extensively throughout the U.S. by car, usually towing a 21' travel trailer behind a station wagon, as Lloyd incorporated family vacations into various work meetings. Lauralee enjoyed the organization and clever design of the trailer and did an amazing job keeping six bodies clean and fed in that small space.

In the early 1970s, Lloyd and Lauralee moved from Los Angeles to San Diego. They continued to be active in the Methodist Church and Lauralee served the UMW (United Methodist Women) on the state and national level. She was passionate about the Bible: she conceived of Bible Alive Aloud, a way for a church to read the entire Bible out loud during Holy week - this proved to be a great blessing and their church did it every three years for more than a decade.

Her beloved Lloyd died early in 2005 and later that year Lauralee moved 20 miles north to Poway to be closer to family, teaching piano and Bible lessons, and enjoying many visits with her nearby grandchildren and, before long, great-grandchildren. She traveled occasionally for family visits, sometimes even back to Iowa, into her early 90s.

She missed her husband tremendously but continued her rich life of Christian service and during her 19 years in the Poway area she attended Hope UMC, New Hope, Living Way, Park Church, Christ the King Anglican Church, and Pomerado Christian Church. Lauralee always had at least one prayer group meeting every week; these were a profound joy to her and others also cherished their prayer relationship with her. She held a monthly hymn-sing for neighbors and friends and would sight-read requests from the Methodist hymnal.

Remembering well the frustration and isolation of being a mother home with young children, she was an enthusiastic helper at Mother's Morning Out and MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) and made many friends over the years.

Lauralee joined P.E.O. in 1951 and continued to participate and attend meetings whenever possible, even in 2024.

Over the years Lauralee often expressed a desire to live in a three-generation household, just as she had provided with four older women, over the nearly 60 years of her marriage to Lloyd. It was with a sense of satisfaction that she accepted the invitation from her granddaughter Jessica (a veterinarian in Windsor, California) to come and live with their family. She approached the move with enthusiasm, despite the challenges of her 98-year-old body. While her time in Northern California was short, it enabled her to enjoy visits with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other local family and friends, meeting some great-grandchildren for the first time.

Lauralee leaves behind her four children and spouses: Craig & Dale Maudlin, Lynn Maudlin, Alicia & Randy Cross, and Dawn & Dale Reitz. She is well-beloved by eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

There is a large Lauralee-sized hole in the world right now but we rejoice in her remarkable and well-lived life and know she is delighting in many reunions in heavenly places. Well done, good and faithful servant!








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