Laura was born on March 3, 1982, and left this earth and her weary body behind on April 25, 2021. In between, she filled every single moment with laughter, meaning, joy and love.

Adopted by Charles and Patricia Kutzera as an infant, she grew up, the youngest of five siblings, in the Pleasant Acres neighborhood of St. Joseph, Minnesota. As a student at Apollo High School, she discovered American Sign Language (ASL) and later turned this skill and her innate desire to connect and communicate with people into a career by earning a degree in ASL interpretation from St. Paul College.

Laura met the love of her life—her "hero"—on Match.com in 2013 after trying and failing to cancel her subscription. Michael reached out, they corresponded, and she finally agreed to a date because she liked that "he could use words." One date turned into the next and so on until they married on October 1, 2016, at Grandview Lodge under the bright sun, surrounded by friends, family and fall colors in every direction.

Laura and Michael actually never stopped dating. Even during COVID, they met on the front porch each morning to drink coffee, read to each other and watch the sunrise. Every afternoon, they reconvened on the back deck, where they watched the birds and deer, enjoyed the sunset and made plans—for the garden, their next outdoor adventure and "her" chickens.

Laura would tell you that being a mom brought out the very best in her. She loved Emanuel and her bonus kids, Natasha and Garrett, fiercely. From tight squeezes and quiet, healing chats to loud and fiery cheering from the sidelines at their sporting events, she invested deeply in their lives and supported them 100 percent.

Although it seemed like Laura was most often on the go, in pursuit of meaningful conversations and intentional experiences, she valued the simpler aspects of life, too. Sunbathing in the backyard. Silly jokes and dorky dances through the living room. Farm-fresh eggs. Long baths with a glass (or two) of wine. Laughter, tears and time with her "Shreddin' Sisters," Sara and Hannah. The way Michael weekly washed and cared for her dreads.

With sparkling eyes and a smile that spread across her entire face, Laura loved without reason, recognized, and inspired the very best in others, treasured every minute and left nothing unsaid. She never gave up. With resilience, hope and stubborn determination, she did everything she could physically, spiritually, and emotionally to stay with her people—"her tribe"—as long as possible.

Cancer may have consumed her body, but it never—not for a single second—consumed her spirit. And that is why #LAURAWINS.

She is survived by her "bestie," soulmate and husband Michael Gaarder; her children Emanuel Kutzera, Natasha Gaarder and Garrett Gaarder; her mother Patricia Kutzera; her siblings Wade Kutzera (Molly Heurung, Kira, Wyatt, Wesley), Shauna Ziemkowski (Jaxon, Abbey), Sara Dusbabek (Jason, Isabella, Colt), Hannah Bengston (Sean, Lauren and Erin) and Josh Kutzera (Rolan, Kole, Sierra); and her birth family Barb, Robbie, Nancy and Ashley Vargas. She joins her father and "biggest fan" Charles Kutzera, who died on August 2, 2020.

Laura's Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Monday, June 7, 2021, at the St. John's Abbey.

https://www.sctimes.com/obituaries/sct065756