Laurie Balzer Obituary

Laurie was born in Salem, Oregon on November 9, 1952, adopted by Jack and Jane Watkins, and raised an only child. She and John were married in Salem, Oregon November 2, 1974. Three months later, she joined John, then serving in the Army in West Germany.
She graduated from Oregon State University in 1975 with a B.S. in Technical Journalism with a Forestry Minor. They lived in Germany 16 years. John Jr. was born at the Wiesbaden Air Force Base Hospital and Kristen in the Bamberg Women's Hospital (then two hundred years old). They lived in Fürth (NW suburb of Nürnberg), Frankfurt, Bamberg, Munich, and Untergruppenbach (between Heilbronn & Stuttgart).
Laurie worked as an Administrative Assistant, Secretary, Substitute Teacher and School Nurse in Germany and as a Teacher in the U.S. She was an avid crocheter until arthritis in her hands prevented it. She then resumed Quilting, first learned when she was in college. She was active in Firehose Quilts and Quilts of Valor. She was also active in Faith Lutheran and 'God Chicks.'
The family relocated to Arvada in July 1990. They adopted Grace and her finalization happened 40 years after Laurie's. They have been members of Faith Lutheran in Golden for 17+ years. Kristen and her children live with us and she was actively involved in their raising and care.
She and John celebrated their 50th Anniversary on November 2, 2024, and followed with a one-week trip to Oahu. At the end of May we took a brief vacation to Texas, visiting an American Girl Store in Dallas, the brand-new (opened March 27th, 2025) Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, the Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Galveston Bay.