Laurel Bryan

Laurel Maurine “Lolly” (Johnson) Bryan, 91, passed away on March 8, 2023 at the Brookside Retirement Community in Overbrook, Kansas.  Laurel was born January 16, 1932 in Akron, Colorado to Ernest David Johnson and Marjory Evelyn (Northcutt) Johnson.  She graduated from Burlingame High School in 1950.

Laurel married James Donald Bryan on January 27, 1951.  They owned and operated the Bryan family farm in Scranton, Kansas for over fifty years during their 71 years of marriage.  As a farming family, they were both long-term members of the Young Farmers and the National Farmers organizations.

Although Laurel was born and raised as a “townie”, she quickly learned to operate various pieces of farm equipment, including grain trucks and tractors. Grandson Marc Carnes always spoke excitedly about Grandma driving the “big John Deere tractor” with the “double duals”!  Laurel often came home after a long day in the fields to mix up a big batch of home-made ice cream with freshly-picked strawberries from her own garden.  She also grew and shared her tomatoes, gladiolas, and roses with her friends and family over the years. 

Laurel helped her three daughters in learning how to cook and sew during their 4-H Club years.   She even sacrificed her prize square-dance can-can and bamboo fishing pole to create a gigantic bug net for daughter Dawn’s 4-H Entomology project! 

In her 60’s Laurel took up toll painting and woodcarving.   Much of her work is on display by her family in their own homes. 

Laurel was proceeded in death by her husband Jim (on September 16, 2022), both parents, and sisters Vida May Provolt and Mildred Eloise Berger.

Surviving family members include:  brother Eldon D. Johnson of Otis Orchards, Washington; sisters Nadine Eunice Warner of Redmond, Washington, and Charlotte (Joe) Buell of St. Helens, Oregon/ and Ketchikan, Alaska; three daughters –Dawn Carnes of Carbondale, KS; Laurie (Doug) Spencer of Orlando, Florida; and June Bryan of Eau Claire, Wisconsin;  four grandchildren, Marc (Jin) Carnes of Statesboro, Georgia, Jenny Carnes of Topeka, KS, Jackie (Scott) Pfeifer of Marshfield, WI, and Tatiana (Aaron) Scott of Rogers, Minnesota; and two great grandchildren – Nicholas and Alex Pfeifer of Marshfield, WI.

A graveside memorial service will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at Scranton Cemetery, Scranton, KS.  The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Lamb-Roberts-Price Funeral Home, 730 Western Heights Drive, Overbrook, KS 66524.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Brookside Activity Fund and sent in c/o Lamb-Roberts-Price Funeral Home, P.O. Box 268, Overbrook, KS 66524.  Condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com.

The entire Bryan family would like to give thanks to the wonderful team of caretakers at the Brookside Retirement Community Assisted Living and Nursing Home that took such great care of Mom these past six years, as well as the dedicated Phoenix Hospice workers that took care of her in her final days.

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