Laura Jean Brown (Hanson), age 52, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at her home on Tuesday morning, April 28th, 2020. Laura was born on May 15th, 1967 in Madison Wisconsin to Thomas and Mary Jo (Krogstad) Hanson. She grew up in Denver, Colorado where she and her siblings, Dan, Beth and Sarah could be found on the ski slopes all winter long. She had a heart for animals of all kind; as a child her neighbors would call her when there was a garden snake in their yard and one summer she collected 24 of them in a cage. After moving back to Wisconsin to bring her family closer to her parents, Laura began employment with Auto Owner's Insurance in Eau Claire where she was a long valued employee for nearly 20 years. Laura was a caring person, who demonstrated this in the thoughtful ways that she showed up for everyone; be it dropping off groceries, checking in with a phone call or finding the perfect Christmas gift for a loved one, she was always thinking of others. She and Rick built a beautiful cabin up north where she put her heart into sealing every log and decorating every room. Recently, she had been enjoying all of that hard work by curling up with a good book at the cabin or out on the boat enjoying family. She was handy, could fix things, build things; if you had a project or an idea, she would help you put it together. She had no problem breaking from her comfort zone to make others happy - whether that was fishing in Canada with Rick and his family (which she grew to love), driving a truck hundreds of miles to help Zach move to Kansas, or visiting Celeste in Spain, Laura loved being there for those she cared about. If you ever needed anything she would show up in a heartbeat. Simply put, Laura was beautiful inside and out. She was a loving wife, caring mother, thoughtful daughter and wonderful friend who will be deeply missed by all. Laura is survived by her husband, Richard Brown; children, Zach (Morgan) Scola & Celeste (Nathan) Scola; step-children, Tyler (Chelsea) Brown & Lukus (Jessie) Brown; sisters, Elizabeth & Sarah Hanson; parents-in-law, Dick (Mary) Brown, brother,-in-law, Rob (Sue) Brown & John (Staci) Brown; sister-in-law, Tammy (Kurt) Cable; and all of their children and grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends. Laura was preceded in death by her father and mother, Tom and Mary Jo; brother, Dan; uncles, aunts and grandparents. In lieu of memorials please consider a donation in Laura's name to the American Heart Association, 2850 Dairy Drive, Suite 130, Madison, WI 53718 or in honor of her father to the American Cancer Society 1285 Rudy St Ste 103, Onalaska, WI 54650 or online at www.cancer.org (click on the Give In Honor & Memorial icon). Private services were held for Laura's family. A Celebration of Life will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at Hickory Hills Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Rd, Eau Claire. A few important reminders to make this celebration as safe as possible because we truly value the health and happiness of all of our friends and family during these times of uncertainty. We will be using the outdoor space to allow for easier social distancing. We ask that you please come prepared with a mask as it is required to enter the bar to order a drink, use the bathroom, etc. Please be mindful and consider whether or not it's appropriate to attend should you be feeling under the weather.

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