Laura Orrie Burgess

Laura Orrie Burgess, age 91 of Torrington, Wyoming, passed away Tuesday afternoon, November 4, 2008, at her daughter’s home rural Menno, South Dakota, under hospice care. Her funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 8, 2008, at the Dugan-Kramer Funeral Home in Morrill, Nebraska with Glenn Sparks and Justin Reynolds officiating. Burial will be in the Forest Lawn Cemetery at Morrill. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Saturday. Laura was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on November 18, 1916. She was the third child born to Frank and Jessie Watson. Laura’s early years were spent on the family homestead in Sioux County, Nebraska. As a child the family moved into an area north of Morrill, Nebraska where they farmed. In 1982, the family moved to a farm 10 miles south of Torrington, Wyoming. In the spring of 1935, Laura graduated from Torrington Public High School. Laura married George Burgess on November 30, 1935, in Harrisburg, Nebraska. They lived and farmed in the Torrington, Wyoming area for many years. To this union were born 2 daughters and 5 sons. Laura is survived by her husband, George of Torrington, Wyoming; their children Edwin (Mary Jo) Burgess of Casper, Wyoming, Fred (Heike) Burgess of Dallas, Texas, Lois (Donald) Kirschenman of Menno, South Dakota, Carl (Mary Lou) Burgess of Phoenix, Arizona, Frank Burgess of Martin, South Dakota, and George (Mary Alice) Burgess of Gillette, Wyoming. Three sisters Jessie Finley, Orrie Gould, and Esther Terrell, and two brothers Leadore Watson and Harry Watson. 20 grandchildren and 45 great grandchildren and several great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one daughter Jane and her husband Hal Davis, two sisters Claire and Bertha, and one brother Charles.