Laurien H. (Laurie) Christoffersen, 80, of Bruce, WI passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at the Ladysmith Care Community in Ladysmith, WI.

Laurie was born on February 7, 1939, in St. Paul, MN to Millard B. and Hildur (nee Peterson) House. She was the fourth of four children and grew up on a farm on South Roberts Street in West St. Paul.  As far back as she could remember, she was riding horses and they became her passion.  As a child, when her closest sister went off to kindergarten and first grade, she would come home and teach Laurie what she learned that day.  By the time Laurie was school age, she was able to skip kindergarten and started in first grade.  That enabled her to graduate from Henry Sibley High School in 1956, three months after her 16th birthday. After graduation, she followed her sister out to Colorado State University.  There she met Donald Christoffersen.  They were married on June 16, 1957 in Aurora, CO.  She chose to leave school after the birth of her son Mark, in 1958.  After a move to Los Angeles, CA, daughter Susan was born in 1960.  Tragically, she was killed in a car accident in 1975.

Eventually, she went to work as a teller in a bank in Eureka, CA. until moving to Hudson in 1970. After a short stint managing the Lynn Rose Fashions store in Hastings, MN., she went back to work as a teller at the State Bank of Hudson, eventually working her way up to VP of Operations.  She was extremely proud of that and thoroughly enjoyed her banking career.

After retirement, she and Don built their retirement home on the Chippewa River north of Bruce. There she was able to renew her passion for horses and went riding often on the trails in the Blue Hills with her riding partner Peg.  She also loved to sit on the deck or by the window looking out over the river and watch for deer, birds and eagles to make appearances.  She was also an avid reader and New York Times crossword puzzle solver until her dementia and the oncoming of Alzheimer’s made it impossible for her.

Laurie will remain in the hearts of her son, Mark of Bruce, WI; grandchildren Adam of Roberts, WI and Aly, of Chicago, IL; sister and brother-in-law Adrienne and Bob Porter of Afton, MN; brother and sister-in-laws Ken and Doris Christoffersen of Rock Springs, WY, Bob and Belinda Christoffersen of Aurora, CO and Tom Christoffersen of Salisbury, NC and many nieces and nephews and their families.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Don, daughter Susan, granddaughter Aryn, brother Edward and sister Marilyn.

A memorial gathering for Laurie will be at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home from 2pm – 4pm on Friday, September 6, 2019. There will be a private interment for family at Willow River Cemetery after the gathering. There will also be a gathering on Sunday, September 8, 2019 at Atlanta Town Hall near Bruce, WI from 12pm-2pm. Memorials are preferred to donors choice but are appreciated to your favorite animal shelter. Arrangements have been entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, WI.