Doris “Penny” Rae (Cunningham) Laughland was Born in Hurst, IL on June 27, 1926 to Zina Ruth (Metcalf) and Ray Vincent Cunningham. The family moved to Centralia, IL when Doris was 2 years old and moved again to Chicago, IL when Doris was 3. In the midst of the Great Depression, the family moved to Salem, IL to be close to family when Doris was 4 years old, where she started kindergarten and went to school until the 2nd grade. The family moved to Alton, IL when Doris was in 2nd grade and she attended school there until graduation from Alton High School in 1944. In high school, Doris participated in the war effort by buying bonds at 25 cents a week. She attended the Lancaster School of Speech throughout high school and won several awards for public speaking. She was routinely on the honor roll. Her mother, Zina, divorced Ray in 1935 when Doris was 9 years old, and with her heroic efforts as a single mother, Zina raised Doris in the post-Depression era. Both her mother, Zina, and Mrs. Lancaster (Lancaster School) had profound impacts on her life.
Doris met Samuel Laughland, Jr. at Alton High School and their first date together was attending a football game on October 4, 1942. Sam graduated high school in 1943 and served in the US Navy as an aviation electrician until his discharge in 1946. Doris and Sam married on June 8, 1947, just nineteen days before Doris’ 21st birthday.
After graduation Doris was bookkeeper for Young's Department Store in Alton, IL until 1950.
That same year she started work for Olin Matheson in East Alton where she was secretary to the Office Manager. Doris continued working while Sam attended college, finally leaving Olin Matheson in 1957 to start a family. Sam started work at Southwestern Bell in St. Louis, MO in 1954. At the time, Sam and Doris lived in Wood River, IL and later moved to Ferguson, MO in 1957 where their daughter, Lauri Laughland (currently of Lee’s Summit, MO), was born in 1958. The family moved to St. Joseph, MO in 1959 where their son, Matthew Laughland (currently of Dallas, TX), was born in 1962. The family moved to south Kansas City that same year.
Doris dedicated her life to caring for her children and family. She was active in the PTA, Girl Scouts, and was den mother for the Cub Scouts. She served periodically as an election judge. She was a breast cancer survivor. Doris provided care to both her mother and stepfather, and Sam's parents, in the later years of their lives. She was especially proud to see both of her children earn doctorate degrees in college. She was active at Colonial Presbyterian Church in the Encouragers Group for more than 10 years after Sam died in 1987. The friends she made there were very important to her. In 2010 she moved from her home in south Kansas City, where she raised her family, to independent and assisted living communities where she had many friends and was known for her kindness. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to an animal rescue group or shelter of your choice. Mom loved dogs!
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