Laura Marie (Smith) Poet, 57, of St. Joseph, Missouri, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, nana, and friend, went to be with Jesus on December 5, 2024 after a long battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma. Diagnosed originally with what was thought to be breast cancer in 2011, family and friends are encouraged to think of the last thirteen years as “bonus” years.
Laura was born February 9, 1967, in Joplin, Missouri, to Robert Eugene and Myra Lou (Balding) Smith and spent her childhood and youth in Salina and Hays, KS, and Loveland and Longmont, CO. She attended Hays High School and graduated from Skyline High School in Longmont in 1985. She attended Colorado State University and Ottawa University (KS) before marrying her high school sweetheart, Jeffrey Lawrence Poet, on July 5, 1987, on his parents’ farm outside of Longmont, devoting the rest of her life to being a wife and mother.
Laura is preceded in death by her father Robert, her maternal grandparents Edgar and Mildred (Wright) Balding of Arvada, CO, and her paternal grandparents Harold and Helen (Erwin) Smith of Newcastle, IN. She is survived by her husband, Jeff, of the home, and her eight children and eight grandchildren: Jessica Poet and Luka of St. Joseph; Liesl (Orion) Diehl and Savannah, Ophelia, and Gwenivere of Panama City Beach, FL; Andrew (Caitlyn) Poet and Elizabeth and Leo of Boonville, MO; Moriah (Noah) Gibler and Adelyn and Eleanor of Kaycee, WY; Sara (Connor) Stewart of Dearborn, MO; Micah (Libby) Poet of St. Joseph; Jacob Poet and Shiloh Poet, of the home. She is also survived by her mother Myra Smith of St. Joseph, her sister Lanna (Mark) Trembath of Troy, KS, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Laura invested her time and energy into her relationships with her family and friends. She homeschooled all eight of her kids over a continuous span of more than 30 years. She was active in Sunday School and church at several churches over the course of her life and studied the Bible on her own each morning and with groups of friends. She loved her Lord Jesus and deeply desired for others, especially her children and grandchildren, to know and trust Him as well.
Over the years, Laura sewed many outfits for kids and grandkids and made many quilts, including quilts for special events like weddings and births. Each quilt was tailored to the would-be recipient, reflecting the care and love that Laura had for the person. Other hobbies and pastimes included reading, playing games with family, watching Jeopardy, photography and scrapbooking, running, disc golf (begun during the pandemic), and traveling. She traveled to Europe on three occasions, visited 45 of the 48 contiguous United States, enjoyed a multi-generational trip to Hawaii, and took a cruise to the Bahamas with Jeff for their 30th anniversary.
Laura’s spirit is now with Jesus in Heaven. Her body will be cremated. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, MO, on Monday, December 9 at 2:00 with a visitation/reception time with family to immediately follow. Attendees are asked to bring items made for them by Laura (quilts, zipper bags, pajamas, dance/play costumes, homemade cards, etc.) for display at during the reception.
