Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Thursday at East Lawn Funeral Home, 1102 Airport Road, Laura Garrett, 92, of Bloomington, passed away at 9:05 p.m., Sunday March 11, 2018 at her condo in Westminister.
Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Thursday at East Lawn Funeral Home, 1102 Airport Road, Bloomington, IL. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, 302 East Miller Street Bloomington, IL. 61701.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Robert/Laura ISU women’s basketball/volleyball scholarship program or to the donor’s choice.
Laura was born on January 4, 1926 in Normal, the daughter of “Gus” and Nellie Schumacher. She married Robert Garrett on June 22, 1952. He preceded her in death on March 14, 2013.
Surviving are sons, David (Cheryl) Garrett of Bloomington and Mark (Cindi) Garrett, Fort Myers, FL.; grandchildren, Daniel (Colleen), Christopher, Mallory and Ian; great-grandchildren, Eric, Mavrick, Bradley, Catherine “Catie” and Killian, and very special friends June McCluskey, Mary Lou Linne, Dottie Garrett and Mary Horna.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother.
Laura began her State Farm career on their night crew program as a junior at Bloomington High School. “Dropping numbered files in steel cabinets at a fast pace awarded one the opportunity of delivering mail on roller-skates”.
She and another employee opened a policy writing office in Denver, CO during World War II days, returning to Bloomington in 1957. After a series of jobs including correspondence supervisor, ALFI editor (company newspaper), secretary and internal control analyst, she was persuaded to change her major at Illinois State University to library science and attained her degree. She became a library employee in 1972.
When the corporate librarian retired in 1978, she assumed her position. With the help of her dedicated employees, the library was changed from a manual operation to an automated facility servicing the needs of the State Farm employees, both locally and in the regions, outside attorneys, paralegals and judges.
As a certified law librarian and active member of the American Law Association she was able to attend law schools and conferences managed by the association. As a member of the Special Library Association she was Division Chair, Membership Recognition Chair, Hospitality and Nominating Chair, director, secretary, Insurance and Periodicals Indexer and a member of the Insurance Indexing Committee. She was recognized as a distinguished alumna at ISU’s Sesquicentennial celebration on October 12, 2007.
As an avid fan and Redbird, Laura attended basketball/volleyball games in the arena, the Valley and even Hawaii. She, also, was a volunteer for the IL High School Association state tournaments held at the arena.
Always a sports participant, learned to ski in CO, she became an award winning basketball, softball, golf, tennis, and bowling player with the State Farm’s activities programs. Bowling in the city league, state and national tournaments, with some of the best bowlers. She excelled and was inducted into the Bowling Hall of Fame in 1987.
Later in life arthritis took over and she spent many hours at Gold’s Gym where she met new friends and thoroughly enjoyed “talking”. Working out was secondary!
Up-beat, gregarious - - -she loved her family, friends, and Redbirds and travel. She is ready for this, her final destination.
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