Laura Slye

Laura Slye passed away June 24, 2024, at her home in Worland after a courageous battle with cancer. Her family was by her bedside. She was 82.

Laura Ellen (Brazelton) Slye was born December 29, 1941, in Worland, Wyoming to Clair and Ellen (Tiny) Brazelton. At the age of eight, she and her family moved to Winchester, Wyoming (about 15 miles south of Worland) where her father got a job with Marathon Oil.

She and her four siblings, Peggy, Bill, Audrey and David, attended a one-room schoolhouse heated by a pot-bellied stove, started each winter morning by her father. Laura fondly remembered that her dad made all their childhood toys. Laura and Audrey spent a lot of their childhood riding horses in the badlands and down by Cottonwood Creek. She also remembers spending time with her younger brother, David, playing ping-pong on the family's extra-long dining room table.

A few years after moving to Winchester, her father gave his life to Christ and the family began attending church. Laura was very shy and her parents said she only had one bad day a year.

The Brazelton kids were all bussed to Worland for high school. Laura's shyness made high school a challenge. After graduation she sold her favorite horse, General, and took a giant leap of faith to attend business college in Billings where she and her sister, Audrey, rented an apartment together. After business college, she worked for Rusty Kerr (Kerr Construction and Montana Products). One of the construction workers (who would later become her father-in-law) told his son to "check out Rusty's new secretary". Richard (Dick) being fresh out of the Marine Reserves did just that. They married on October 22, 1960, at the Methodist Church in Worland.

After marriage, Dick and Laura traveled for construction work. Their son, Kevin, was born in Billings, MT in 1961. Their daughter, Rebecca (Becky) was born in Seattle, WA in 1963. While spending 13 years in Seattle, Laura worked as the cafeteria manager for Boeing and had her kids in Scouts, baseball, ballet and baton classes. But Laura, longed to get back to a simpler life in Wyoming. They made the decision to leave two houses and their life in Seattle and move to Wyoming in 1976. They purchased a two-acre farm in Lovell then a year later upgraded to a 40-acre farm in Manderson. Dick continued to work construction while Laura did the books and raised the kids. Laura loved the farm life and instilled that in her children through 4-H and FFA. She could be found bottle-feeding bum lambs, milking cows, selling milk and cream, raising chickens, calves, pigs, ducks and geese.

It was while attending the Manderson Community Bible Church that Laura thoroughly devoted her life to serving Christ. Later, her husband and children came to know the Lord through her Godly example and love. Their children graduated and married. Becky to Terry in 1982 and Kevin married the pastor's daughter, Dawn Fuller-Slye in 1990. This brought four beloved grandchildren into their lives.

Being empty nesters, Dick and Laura decided to move to Worland and buy some rental properties. Laura was active in the Christian Women's After Five Club where she served on the board for 40 years. She also worked at the Worland Bible Book, Ben Franklins, C&D Contractors (Dad's business doing the books) and ten years as the secretary of First Southern Baptist Church. The couple attended a semester at Ecola Hall, a seminary on the coast of Oregon. Each student was given a job while not attending classes. Laura was recruited into the office, while Dick served his time on kitchen duty washing pots and pans - much to Laura's amusement.

Dick would say, Laura "was so shy she couldn't lead a silent prayer", but with God's help, she served Him as a speaker for the Christian Women's After Five Clubs speaking in nine states to share the gospel of Christ. Even after retirement, she served on church committees, volunteered at Worland Senior Citizens, jail ministries and she and Dick also served with the Gideons until his death in 2010.

Laura continued to share her faith and testimony with others until she passed away from cancer with Jesus by her side and in her heart. Her faith never waived. Her mission was to share the gospel and give people the opportunity to know her Jesus.

Laura was preceded in death by her husband, Richard (Dick) Slye, her parents Clair and Ellen Brazelton, in-laws Clarence and Dorothy Slye, her sister Peggy Sims, her brother Bill Brazelton, brother-in-law Gene Slye, niece Traci Slye-Blan, and nephew Schuyler Delcamp.

She is survived by her son Kevin (Dawn) Slye, daughter Becky (Terry) Davis all of Worland. Grandchildren, Tara (Mike) Jorgensen of Worland, Chris (Nicole) Davis of Meeteetse, Naomi (Trinity) Haynes of Wheatland and Stephen Slye of Worland. Beloved great-grandchildren Sam and Anna Jorgensen, James (JD) and Chandler Davis, Brenick and Noah Haynes. She is also survived by sister Audrey (Mack) Delcamp of Worden, MT, brother Rev. David (Jeannie) Brazelton of Lakeland, FL, sister-in-law Mary Brazelton of Powell, sister-in-law and life-long friend Diane Slye of Gates, OR, and her dear friend, Frankie Bradshaw. She also leaves behind several nieces, nephews and their families and her church family.

Funeral Services will be held 10:00 AM, July 2, 2024, at Crosspoint Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorials can be made to the Gideons International to provide Bibles to spread the Good News that Jesus is the son of God, came to earth, was crucified and rose again to atone for the sins of the world. He offers salvation as a free gift to anyone who repents and turns to Him. He provides a relationship with Him that surpasses all understanding. Laura BELIEVED - and is now in His GLORY FOREVER. Checks may be sent to PO Box 524, Worland, WY 82401. Online condolences may be made at http://www.bryantfuneralhomeonline.com.