Laura L. Stubblefield

Laura L. Stubblefield, 65, of Shelton died Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at her rural Shelton home.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM Tuesday, May 21^st at the Shelton United Methodist Church. Pastor Michelle Byerly will officiate. Burial will follow in the Shelton Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 PM Monday, May 20^th at the Shelton United Methodist Church. Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Laura Lee (Brown) Stubblefield was born August 17, 1958, in Waco, TX, to Glen and Norma (Roth) Brown.  The family moved multiple times while Glen served in the U.S. Air Force, settling in Manteca, CA, for most of Laura’s childhood.  In 1973, Glen and Norma moved to Curtis, NE, where they owned and operated Glen’s Appliance Store.  While in Curtis, Laura met Scott Stubblefield when he noticed a cute waitress in the local café.  Laura graduated from Medicine Valley High School in 1976, then moved to Kearney on her own that summer, working hard to make a life for herself during their engagement. 

She married Scott on June 18, 1977, and they settled on the farm north of Shelton.  Laura worked at Rockwell International in Kearney before owning and running a successful home décor business both from her home and in a retail setting.  Grounded in her faith, Laura started volunteering as a Sunday School teacher and youth group leader when Anna and Neil were young.  She helped to grow leaders in the local church before making the life-changing career transition into campus ministry in 2002.  She completed seminary at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City in 2017 and served as the pastor of United Campus Ministry at University of Nebraska-Kearney (UCM) from 2002 until 2023.  Laura truly enjoyed the relationships she formed with pastors, parishioners, and colleagues. 

Laura deeply loved her children and grandchildren.  She was devoted to her family and traveled to visit them in California and Colorado regularly.  Laura’s home was the hub for numerous family gatherings and open to whomever needed a place at the table.  Laura could whip up a home-cooked meal for 50 with just a few hours’ notice. 

Through her work at UCM, camping, youth group, youth ministries, mission trips, outreaches, fundraisers, and just life in general Laura acted as a mother-figure for many people.  Many of you have likely experienced this first-hand.  She was the shoulder to cry on when bad news hit.  She would care for those in need wherever she felt called.  Laura would listen to your problems and give advice; sometimes it was hard to swallow, but you knew it was always with good intentions and everyone’s best interest (not just yours) in mind.  She didn’t play favorites and treated everyone with love and dignity.  Laura acted as the glue and spark, the light ahead and the gentle shove from behind, the encouraging megaphone, and the quiet listening ear. 

Laura was giving with her time, her talents, and her service, providing a listening ear or just a hand to hold while you struggled and grieved.  She joked, laughed, and played games with the best.  She was  everyone’s best cheerleader, celebrating peoples’ accomplishments, praising their talents, and helping them push themselves just a little more to be even better, because she believed they could.  Laura radiated love, care, joy, and compassion.  

Left to cherish her memory are husband Scott of Shelton, NE, children Anna (Brandon) Detlefsen of Central City, and Neil (Erin) Stubblefield of Shelton.  Grandchildren Trent, Claire, and Ayla.  Mother Norma Evans, of Kearney, NE, brothers Michael Brown of Denver, CO, and Thomas Brown of Shelton, Geneva Brown of Valley Springs, CA, sisters-in-law Steph (Larry) Canning, of Seward, NE, and Susan Stubblefield (Eric Peterson) of Minneapolis, MN, and brother-in-law Mark (Roberta) Stubblefield of Kenesaw, NE, and her life-long best friend Susan Poole of Escalon, CA.  Laura was preceded in death by her father, M. Glen Brown, infant sister Nancy, Albert “Al” Evans, and her parents-in-law Robert “Bob” and Lenore Stubblefield.