Age 87, passed away surrounded by family members on October 18, 2007 as a gentle gust of wind came through an open window and carried her up to heaven.
A Memorial Service was held this past Saturday, October 27, at Alki Congregational Church in West Seattle.
Laurene was born April 23, 1920, in Bath, S.D. where she graduated from Bath School in 1938. She met her first husband, Leslie Mullis (from Cardiff, Wales) while living with her sister in Seattle. They married and raised their 6 children primarily in the Seattle area. Several years after Leslie's death (in 1979), and several trips back to Bath, SD to spend time with her ailing brothers, she met up with an old high school acquaintance, Chester (Chet) Gullikson. They married in 1995 and she moved from Seattle to Bath. After Chet's death, she continued to live in the Bath/Aberdeen area until the fall of 2004 when she moved back to Seattle.
For those who knew and loved Laurene, she was a wonderfully patient, soft-spoken, loving, compassionate, sharing, nurturing, family centered woman who will be dearly missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Kerwin, Lester and Kenneth, her sisters Genevieve and Shirley Weismantel all of Bath, SD, husbands Leslie and Chet, one grandson and two nephews.
She is survived by her children (and spouses), John (Vicki) of Bath, SD, Dave of Seattle, Brian (Barb) of SeaTac, WA, Dexter of Seattle, Joan (Wayne) Underwood of Renton, WA and Bruce of Normandy Park, WA, 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, nieces, cousins and extended family. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Laurene to the "Shirley J. Weismantel Memorial Cemetery Fund"; c/o Great Western Bank of Aberdeen; 119 6th Ave SE; Aberdeen, SD 57401; or your favorite charity. This memorial fund was originally set up by Laurene's sister Shirley, for the continued beautification of the Bath Memorial Cemetery, their family ancestral hometown cemetery.
For further info and to share memories please visit the online living memorial webpage and sign the "Memory Book" at http;//lemullisgullikson.legacy.com/.
