Laurie Ruth (Brawner) Catt 2/4/54-11/24/24

Laurie R. Brawner was born in Great Falls, Montana on February 4th, 1954 and went to be with the Lord on November 24th, 2024 surrounded by her loving family.

In June of 1965, Laurie, her siblings, and parents relocated from Great Falls to Havre. Laurie’s father had been transferred to Havre as a manager of Buttery’s bakery. In 1968 she met her true love James Oliver Catt Jr., at which time he asked her to a Havre Central High School dance. While at the dance, Jim said that he knew she was “the one” as soon as Lauire, a practical joker by genetic trait, strategically placed a fully inflated balloon on James’ chair just before he was to sit down!

After graduating from Havre High School in 1972, she began her dream job of becoming a mother and a wife. Jim and Laurie married on February 13th, 1972. She had a strong academic prowess and opportunities to pursue further education. However, Laurie had an even greater desire and skill set conducive of raising a loving family and being a model mother and wife. Laurie was constantly tending to those around her, taking after her father in utilizing her exquisite baking and cooking skills. She was always quick to add a birthday cake to a birthday party, cookies to a school event, or a hot dish to a Sunday dinner. Her epic Halloween parties and creepy menus containing such things as Orange Slime Salad and Slug/Spider trays, were a grandchild’s favorite. Laurie loved deeply and was therefore deeply loved. She raised a family and held down the homestead with Jim being constantly on the road working for the Burlington Northern Railroad. While keeping an immaculate home, she was constantly involved with out-of-home activities. Many of these early jobs, as a PTA volunteer and president, teacher’s assistant, and school cafeteria monitor, worked around the kids’ school schedule. As her children became older, Laurie worked for 12 years as an Orthodontic Dental Assistant, an Orthodontic Lab Owner and Operator for 11 years, and finally at Montana State Northern in the Informational Technology Department for another 14 years. Through these jobs and the affectionate interactions with those she came in contact with on the job, Laurie touched many hearts and impacted many lives. Laurie Bell was a true angel on earth.

In 2013, Laurie and Jim moved to Medford, Oregon. It was that year when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, although she was experiencing symptoms many years before this time. The year before her diagnosis, she wrote the following “Time Capsule Message”. In her own words, she summarizes her love for family and gives a beautiful perspective of the things that matter.

Laurie’s words: November 30, 2012

Some of my favorite things are puppies, babies, rainstorms followed by rainbows, and birds. I like to take walks with Jim and look for signs of the coming Spring in March. I’m always listening for the first chirp from a robin, an indication that Spring is officially here.

I love my walks with Jim. He is my best friend and the love of my life. Our walks are brisk and last for about an hour. We discuss worldly subjects and also have a lot of laughs. I believe one reason that our marriage has endured for 40 years is due to the fact that we make each other laugh.

I am blessed with the most precious children a parent can ask for. They are model citizens and wonderful parents. They have given me five beautiful grandchildren and enough love to last me my whole life and more. They mean the world to me and I thank God for them everyday.

I recently watched a movie called “The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel”. It was a great movie and centered around senior citizens. I actually watched it twice. I’m adopting one of the sayings from this movie. “Everything will be okay in the end, and if it is not, then it’s not the end” . One of my goals in the next few months is to incorporate this verse into my life. To believe that things will really be okay no matter what.

Laurie Ruth Catt: Born to Craig and Ruth (Hoffman) Brawner. Laurie is survived by her spouse, James Oliver Catt, Jr., her two children James Craig (Sarah) Catt, Lisa Laurie (Rocky) Preeshl, daughter-in-law Danna Kaze-Catt, and her seven grandchildren Brenden Catt, Aessa Catt, Blake Preeshl, Lacy Preeshl, Shayla Preeshl, Grant DeSchweinitz, Ellie DeSchweinitz, and siblings Nancy (George) O’Neil, Craig (Linda) Brawner, and Diane Brawner.