Cover photo for Doris Jean Laughlin's Obituary
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Doris Jean Laughlin

August 16, 1930 — July 30, 2017

Doris Jean Laughlin

Doris (Jean) Laughlin, 86, of Bryan passed away on July 30, 2017, surrounded by her children. Jean was born on August 16, 1930, in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, to Clarence Edgar and Martha (Annie) Self White. As a child, she lived in several small towns in Pottawatomie County where her father worked as a blacksmith. She was a strong child and worked with her father where she held the “twitch” while her dad shoed horses and mules. Her strong will helped her survive a cut on her leg while collecting steel in a wagon for the war effort. It became terribly infected and had to be debrided daily by a doctor. Her dad moved into town so she could be treated. She kept that strong will until her passing.

Although she was not formally educated after high school, she continued to educate herself. The dictionary and the Bible were the most used books in her home. When her kids asked what a word meant, she would tell them to get the dictionary and they would look it up together. She was a strong believer in always continuing to learn. She worked as a bookkeeper for her husband and kept such perfect records that when the IRS audited the books they could not find a single error.

After WWII, Jean was introduced to Herschel Joe (Pete) Laughlin by her sister Jackie White Kinsey. Jackie’s fiancé, Kenneth Kinsey was Pete’s best friend during the war. Pete and Jean were married in 1947 and remained friends and lovers until Pete’s death in 2015. They were blessed with five children: Donna (husband David) Holmgreen, Vicki (husband Tom) Kerley, Petey (wife Nishia) Laughlin, Kathy (husband Tom) Paden and John Earl Laughlin (deceased).

She was a faithful, spiritual woman who served God. She was a member of Wesley Untied Methodist Church, a Sunday school teacher and a leader for Bible Study Fellowship. She loved quilting and was a member of The Bluebonnet Quilt Guild and The Wednesday Bee. She was the founder of the Sew ‘N’ Sews prayer quilt group at Wesley United Methodist Church. She also loved nature. She could identify almost every wildflower in this part of the state of Texas. She could also identify the birds. She spent many hours driving Pete around the countryside in the spring admiring God’s beautiful work.

She was dedicated to her family and her friends. They will all sorely miss her. She was predeceased by her husband, Pete Laughlin and her son, John Earl Laughlin. She is survived by her children, thirteen grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren and so, so many friends.

A visitation will be held from 5:30 – 7:30 pm on Friday, August 4, 2017 at Hillier Funeral Home of Bryan. Life Celebration Services will begin at 10 AM on Saturday, August 5, 2017 also at Hillier Funeral Home of Bryan, with graveside services to follow at Bryan City Cemetery.
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