Laura Mae Rogers

Laura Mae Rogers, 74, passed away on August 22, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, surrounded by the people she loved most.

Laura was born Laura Mae Langston on February 7, 1952, in Cottonwood, Arizona, to John Merlin Langston and Uldene Louise (Coombs) Langston.

Laura was the youngest of eight children and was raised in an incredibly loving home, surrounded by the brothers and sisters she looked up to and admired throughout her life. Being the baby of the family came with its share of stories—especially about her older brothers being ornery with their little sister—but those same brothers were also some of her greatest protectors. Laura carried those memories with her and spoke of them with love throughout her life.

She admired her older sisters just as deeply and often spoke about the beautiful, talented women they were. She was genuinely proud of her siblings and the people they became. The love, loyalty, faith, hard work, and devotion to family that surrounded Laura as a little girl helped shape so much of the woman she grew to be.

Perhaps it is fitting that a little girl who grew up so well loved and protected became such a devoted protector of others herself. Laura carried what she had been given forward.

Laura’s family moved to Colorado before she completed high school, but Laura returned to Arizona to finish her education, graduating from Flagstaff High School in 1970. She briefly attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah before returning to Colorado, where she would build her life, raise her family, serve her community, and eventually call the North Fork Valley home.

On February 3, 1973, Laura married Bill Kuretich. Eleven days later, on Valentine’s Day—February 14, 1973—Laura welcomed her only child, Lara Uldene Kuretich, into the world. Becoming a mother began one of the most important roles Laura would ever hold, and the deep, unconditional love she had for her daughter would remain at the very center of who she was throughout the rest of her life. Laura and Bill’s marriage later ended in divorce.

On November 21, 1992, Laura married Garry Lee Rogers. Together, they built a life filled with family, faith, adventure, laughter, hard work, and an enduring love for one another. Laura was an incredibly devoted and caring wife, and whether they were simply spending time together or Laura was riding alongside Garry on the motorcycle, she treasured the life they shared.

If there was one thing Laura knew how to do, it was work—and work hard.

Throughout her life, she held many jobs, much of her work centered around serving others and her community. When her daughter was young, Laura worked at Bear’s Theater in Paonia. She waited tables at The Cave and other restaurants throughout the valley, worked at the Plateau gas station in Paonia before it became Stop ’N Save, and later worked at Stop ’N Save itself. She also worked for Mountain West Telecommunications before beginning the career for which so many people throughout the North Fork Valley would come to know her: nearly 30 years as a rural postal carrier through the Hotchkiss Post Office.

At different times throughout her life, Laura worked two jobs at once—a reflection of the incredible work ethic that defined her. Whatever job she was doing, she showed up, worked hard, cared about doing things well, and gave the best of herself to the responsibility placed before her. She was dependable, capable, and never afraid of hard work.

Her postal route became much more than simply a job. Her customers were more than names and addresses along the way. Laura genuinely cared about the people she served, looked out for them, and took tremendous pride in serving the community she called home.

That same sense of devotion carried into every other part of Laura’s life.

Laura was a caregiver by nature. She was the person who showed up. She helped when help was needed, and very often before anyone ever had to ask. She would put someone else’s needs ahead of her own without thinking twice and could somehow find a way to help even when there didn’t seem to be one. She was an incredible friend, a protector, a defender, and one of the most dependable people you could ever have in your corner. If Laura loved you, you knew it—and you also knew she would stand steadfastly beside you.

And Laura loved fiercely.

She was feisty, spunky, fun, stubborn, passionate, adventurous, and wonderfully full of life. She had opinions, and she certainly wasn’t afraid to have them—or to let you know what they were. But underneath that fire was an extraordinarily tender heart. She loved deeply, gave generously, forgave, cared, served, worried, protected, and showed up again and again for the people around her.

There truly wasn’t much Laura didn’t find a way to enjoy.

She loved music, books and reading, crocheting, quilting, flowers—especially her roses—and plants. She collected kachinas and turquoise and loved jewelry, shoes, and her solar lights. She loved good food and loved to cook it. She enjoyed the PBR, watching college sports and cheering for her favorite teams, riding the motorcycle with Garry, playing board games with her family, and celebrating holidays.

Laura loved to travel and was always ready for an adventure. Whether it meant seeing somewhere new, getting on the motorcycle with Garry, taking a trip, or simply going wherever the people she loved were gathered, she was usually ready to go. Family reunions were especially important to her, and she never missed one. Staying connected to her family mattered deeply to Laura, and she made the effort to be present—not only for the big milestones, but for the traditions and gatherings that kept generations of her family connected.

Laura was always up for doing something, going somewhere, or making a memory.

She also had a particular way of making the gifts she received feel incredibly important. If someone she loved gave her something, she wanted them to know that she treasured it. She would proudly wear the jewelry she had been given—even if that meant wearing two or three necklaces at once—because the person behind the gift mattered more to her than whether everything matched.

And when Laura was the one giving, she put her entire heart into it. She would begin shopping months before a birthday or holiday, carefully thinking about each person and becoming almost as excited about giving the gift as the person receiving it. For Laura, gifts were another way of saying, “I know you. I thought about you. I love you.”

But above every hobby, collection, adventure, job, or possession, Laura loved her family.

She was an unconditionally loving mother to her only daughter, Lara Uldene (Kuretich) VenJohn. Laura knew when her daughter needed tough love, and she was never afraid to give it, but she was equally unafraid of tenderness. Her love was constant, unconditional, and unmistakable.

As a grandmother, that love only grew.

Her grandchildren, Aaron, Alissa, and Araina, never had to wonder whether Grandma would be there. She attended their sporting events, musical performances, milestones, celebrations, and seemingly everything in between. She showed up even during the times they didn’t yet realize how much they needed her there. She was proud of them, protective of them, invested in their lives, and loved them without condition.

Then Laura became a great-grandmother to Darren, and an entirely new piece of her heart seemed to open.

She was immensely proud of him and completely in love with him. She spoke often about what a special spirit he had and how beautiful he was. Becoming his great-grandmother brought her tremendous joy, and the love she had for him was evident every time she spoke his name, held him, watched him, or talked about the person he was becoming.

Family was not simply important to Laura. Family was the center of her world.

Her faith was just as deeply woven into who she was.

Laura was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved attending church, faithfully served in her callings, loved the temple, and carried an incredibly strong testimony and unwavering faith throughout her life. The eternal nature of families through the temple was especially precious to her. She spoke often about her desire for her family to be sealed together and believed deeply that the relationships we build here do not simply end when this life does.

That belief brings particular comfort now.

Laura leaves behind a family who will feel her absence in countless places—in holidays and family gatherings, in the stands at important events, around game tables, among flowers and roses, in thoughtful gifts, in familiar songs, in laughter, and in all the little moments when someone instinctively thinks, “Grandma would love this.”

Laura is survived by her beloved husband, Garry Lee Rogers; her only daughter, Lara Uldene (Kuretich) VenJohn and her husband, Dwight VenJohn; her three grandchildren, Aaron Tyler Kuretich, Alissa Taylor Mott, and Araina Elaine VenJohn; and her cherished great-grandson, Darren Michael Cumpston.

She is also survived by three of her sisters: Betha (Langston) Holyoak and her husband, Wilford Holyoak; Sharon (Langston) Shawcroft and her husband, Curt Shawcroft; and Sally (Langston) Scott, whose husband, Gary Scott, preceded Laura in death. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Linda Langston, wife of Laura’s late brother Jim Langston, and Sherri Langston, wife of Laura’s late brother Jess Langston; as well as her many nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly and who remained an important part of her life.

Laura was preceded in death by her parents, John Merlin Langston and Uldene Louise (Coombs) Langston; her brothers, Keith Langston, Jess Langston, and Jim Langston; and her sister, Janet (Langston) Goodman, along with Janet’s husband, Jim Goodman. She was also preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Gary Scott, husband of her surviving sister Sally, as well as other beloved family members and friends who went before her.

Seventy-four years could never adequately contain the impact of Laura Mae Rogers.

Her life cannot be measured simply by the years she lived, the jobs she worked, or even the many things she accomplished. It is better measured by the people for whom she showed up; the people she fed, helped, protected, defended, encouraged, served, and loved; the miles she drove to be present; the gifts she carefully chose; the events she refused to miss; the prayers she offered; the work she did without complaint; and the family she loved with everything she had.

Laura spent a lifetime taking care of people.

She leaves behind an extraordinary example of what it means to work hard, serve willingly, love wholeheartedly, live faithfully, and show up for the people who matter.

She was a wife, a mother, a grandma, a great-grandma, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a coworker, a neighbor, a protector, a caregiver, and a force all her own.

She was deeply loved.

She will be profoundly missed.

And because of the faith she carried throughout her life, those who love her can hold tightly to the same promise she did—that this goodbye is not forever.

Funeral services for Laura will be held Saturday, September 12, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paonia, Colorado. A viewing will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Following the service, Laura will be laid to rest at Bethlehem Cemetery in Paonia. A luncheon for family will be held at 1:00 p.m. back at the church, where her family will gather together to remember and celebrate Laura’s remarkable life.