Laurie Gail Yergert-Guthals

Laurie Gail Yergert Guthals was born on August 4, 1960, in La Junta, Colorado, to Clarence and Jane (Henkensiefken) Yergert, arriving on her father’s 26th birthday. The oldest of three children, she grew up on farms along Bent’s Fort Road and attended Fort Bent School through fifth grade before continuing at La Junta Junior High and La Junta High School, where she graduated in 1978. An accomplished pianist, Laurie served as accompanist for the first Children’s Theatre production in La Junta, Jeff Church’s Alice in Wonderland.

Laurie built a long and respected career in Denver law firms, most notably with Faegre & Benson and Perkins Coie. At Perkins Coie, where she had been part of the team since the Denver office opened nearly twenty-five years earlier, she was regarded as a well-respected business director and a highly valued colleague, known for her deep experience and tireless dedication. She held a quiet but enduring passion for art, music, and animals. A longtime volunteer for the Denver Dumb Friends League, she opened her home only to rescue pets, her final companion being a cat named Cooper.

Laurie was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Jane Yergert. She is survived by her siblings, Mitchell (Debbie) Yergert of Arvada and Carol (Greg) Noll of La Junta, as well as her nieces and nephews: David (Katie) Yergert and their daughter Skylar, Jacob (Kjirsten) Yergert and their daughter Diana Jane, Daniel (Grace) Yergert, Sara Jane (Chance) Oquist, and Emily Noll.