Obituary of Laura Alberta Tuck

Laura Alberta Tuck of Stettler, Alberta passed away on September 17, 2022 at the age of 85. Mom passed on to be with her mom Elsie, dad Roland, brothers Fred, Joe, Bob and Ray, and sister Lillian.

Mom was born in Gadsby, Alberta in 1937. She started out working as a waitress in nearby Stettler. She had many fond memories of this era. Mom then moved to Calgary, where she met Dad (Jake) and worked with our Uncle Joe at his garage. Between changing flat tires, performing oil changes and pumping gas, Mom wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.

Banff, Alberta was Mom’s next adventure. She enjoyed working at the Cascade Hotel, where she met people from all over the world. One day she and a friend, having enjoyed a few drinks, went up a mountain road to take in the scenery. It was a hot day and they kind of “fell asleep,” waking up with a helluva sunburn – and giving her a story to tell. On another occasion, she encountered a cougar following her to work; she immediately changed her mind about her mode of travel and began using her car after that.

Another stop in Mom’s journey was Peace River, Alberta, where she tragically lost everything she owned in a fire. They also lived in Wildwood, Winterburn and Edmonton; during this period their daughter Donna and son Ron came into the picture. The family settled on an acreage in Gibbons, where Mom ran a poultry business that housed 1,000-plus chickens a year. She sold to hotels and other customers, and her wit and sense of humour were no doubt an asset for her business.

For their next stop in Rosalind, the family bought a quarter-section of farmland. Mom became good friends with the Lohners, and her friendship with Eleanor Lohner lasted for years. Next was a move to Camrose (Round Hill area), where the family owned an acreage that was plagued by problems. Mom was now alone with her two children, which was extremely hard on her. This is when I learned how tough she could be; her children learned a lot of lessons that helped them through life’s rough patches.

Mom’s journey continued in Ponoka and Alix. The move to Alix came mainly so Mom could be closer to my Uncle Fred, whose health was failing. Penhold, Red Deer and Blackfalds took up the next 20 or so years, during which time Mom worked as a saleswoman for A.I.M. The main product she sold was Barley Green, known for its health benefits. During this time, she enjoyed going to meetings and learning the ins and outs of the business. As a people person, Mom spoke often about the people she met and got to know through her work. She took great pride when customers told her how much a product helped them. Mom was proud of this time, always wearing her Barley Green hat (even until it was tattered and worn). She cared for her children’s health and, as such, son Ron always had a jar of Barley Green in his cupboard. Whenever Ron told her it was pretty good stuff, it always made her day.

Later in life, Mom’s time living with Ron showed that her love of animals was deep and unfailing. The Pussycat Penny was of great comfort to her. She also spoke of her beloved jersey cows that she had during her farming days. Mom also loved it when buds would stop by Ron's place and chat with her. Much thanks to Wally P, Bill C, Bill M, Len D and Vic L; she also never forgot about Larry D and Jeff L, asking about them from time to time. Ron would also like to thank Ron and Debbie and Louise and Doug for their hospitality in inviting Mom over for tea and checking in on her when Ron was out.

And finally many thanks to the nurses and staff at Heritage House in Stettler for the care and love that Mom was shown.

Condolences to Laura’s family may be emailed to meaningful@telus.net. Please include “Laura Tuck” in the subject line.

Arrangements in care of

Meaningful Memorials Funeral Service

A locally owned cremation and funeral provider

serving Red Deer and all of Central Alberta

587-876-4944