Laura Mae Pauline Bogar (Daub)

On October 6, as the night passed into day, the bells rang, the trumpets sounded, and the wings of an angel were anointed on another of the Lord's children. Laura Mae Pauline (Daub) Bogar entered the Kingdom of Heaven as 24 of her family members gathered at her side and the angels escorted her to spend eternity with her Lord.
Laura came into this world on December 30, 1932. Born in Enderlin, North Dakota to her loving parents, Clifford and Louise Daub. She was the light of her parent's life and the shining star of her family. Born the first of two lovely girls, Laura Mae preceded her sister into this world and was ultimately the only surviving child. Her younger sister, Erma Jean, succumbed to pneumonia and whooping cough at the tender age of three.
As Laura Mae grew into a beautiful young woman, she came to love all the elements of her Norwegian heritage, lutefisk, lefse and lively polka. She would wow the crowd when she and her father would light up the floor with a rousing round of the Beer Barrel Polka. Then there was her mother, who would step in with Clifford and get the whole crowd swinging to the Schottische, while Laura Mae would encourage the crowd to get on their feet and dance the night away.
Laura met her future husband, Jack Leroy Bogar, in grade school. He has always said, "she chased me until I caught her". They spent their high school years at North Central High in Spokane, Washington. Wedding bells rang on October 14, 1950, the beginning of their 63 years together.
In the early years of their long life together, Laura and Jack would start their family. First, Claudia (Leroy) Quinlivan, followed by Russell (Karlla) Bogar, Janell (Butch-deceased) Opsahl, Wendy (David) Shreeve, Jason Bogar (deceased), and Roger (Heidi) Bogar. From these six children, Laura would become a grandmother of sixteen, great-grandmother of twenty-six (plus two on the way) and a great-great-grandmother of four. In reality, Laura served as a mother to far more than her biological children, as she was forever inviting "strays" into the household to provide them with a hot meal and a soft bed, coupled with words of encouragement to get back on their feet and become productive citizens.
Laura Mae started in the restaurant business at a young age as a waitress, then moved on to ownership of the Bogar's Cafe in Missoula, followed by the Hungry Bear Steakhouse in the Swan Valley. Laura and Jack made the Hungry Bear the premier supper club in the valley with patrons who came for a great meal, and left as friends.
After her first stroke, Laura got great joy out of new things. Her favorites included volunteering at Hillside Manor and working with New Directions Wellness Center. At Hillside she brightened the lives of many, many residents there, bringing joy with birthday and Christmas cards filled with her love. Over time she earned the title of "volunteer of the year" twice. She often said that she got more joy out of her volunteering than the people she visited.
Laura was an active thirteen year member of the New Directions at the University of Montana, where Laura and Jack loved coming to exercise three days a week for the past thirteen years. As an original member, she has worked with hundreds of physical therapy students over the years. She was always happy to help with the formal education of the students by volunteering in labs, participating in research, and by sharing her story and experiences with the students. Student staff working at the gym have always enjoyed working with Laura, and nobody was more willing than she to work with new staff, try new equipment, or exercise no matter how she was feeling that day. Her desire to always strive for improving her health was recognized and appreciated by all of the staff and students. She looked forward to everyday that she got to "walk" in the gym. Laura's determination, humor, and presence will be missed greatly by everyone at New Directions.
As the 80+ years Laura spent here on earth is summed up, it all comes down to the most important thing in her life: her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, her family, and her friends. Everything else was secondary.

Although it is impossible to express how much Laura will be missed, there is a certainty that she is looking down on us while humming a verse of "Happy Trails," until we meet again. She will be missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, family requests donations in Laura's name be sent to: New Directions (32 Campus Drive; 113 Skaggs Building; Missoula, MT 59812). Services will be held on Sunday, October 13th, 2013 at 2PM at Missoula Valley Church (1528 S. Higgins Ave.)



Read Laura Bogar's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.