Laurel Kay Budd, 73 of Stewartville, passed away unexpectedly shortly before her 74th birthday on October 22, 2026 at her residence.

Laurel Kay Oredson was born on October 24, 1952, to Dennis and Eleanor (Smith) Oredson, the youngest of their family of five children. She grew up on the family farm near Dover, MN where her lifelong love of horses began. She owned two in her younger years -Jinxie and Jimbo. She attended St. Charles Public Schools, graduating in 1970. She continued her schooling, becoming an LPN and started to work for the State Hospital in Rochester, Mn. She worked there until her marriage to the man who would become her best friend and soulmate on July 21, 1973, Warren “Cook” Budd.

Laurel became a stay-at-home mom to the couple's four children and was active in their church. In fact, it was with the church's youth group that she and Cook took an early trip together to New Orleans. They also took family trips to Cook's family's resort in Ball Club, Mn. Later she and Cook would travel to Memphis (to visit Graceland) and Florida.

After the kids had grown Laurel began to work outside the home until finally finding the perfect job at Mill End Textiles. She had become a talented seamstress and quilter by then and with her outgoing personality she became friends with patrons and workmates until the store closed.

When Cook's health began to fail, his care became her biggest priority and she was devoted to that end until his death on March 16, 2020.

Laurel was a woman of many hobbies and talents. Besides sewing her grandchildren pajamas for Christmas every year, making quilts, and helping her children and friends with sewing projects, she learned Rosemaling and painting, earning her many ribbons at the county fair.

She loved to read, bake, listen to music (especially ELVIS, Celtic Thunder, or Abba), attend concerts and movies, go out for meals with her friends and family, and do more traveling. She had just got back from her fourth trip to Europe; this time traveling up the Danube River, where a highlight was seeing the Lipizzaner stallions in Vienna. She remembered taking her parents to see them in Rochester before her marriage and was so happy to be able to see and learn more about them. Mostly she enjoyed spending time with her family - she greatly loved her kids and grandkids.

Survivors include her daughter Crystal (Jake) Opse of Cottage Grove Mn, sons Sterling of Chatfield, Mn, Keith (Tish) of Rochester, Mn. Garrett (Jen) of Jacksonville, FL, grandchildren Kenzie Opse, Ali (Erik) Pekol, Thomas Opse, Jamie Budd, Shawn Budd, Trever Budd, Mason Budd, Eliana Budd, Jackson Budd, and Camden Budd, sister Elaine Villeneuve, brother Dwight Oredson, sister-in-law Mary Oredson, brother-in-law Willard Nisbit, and many nieces, nephews and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Kent Oredson, her sister Denise Nisbit, brothers-in-law, Lee Villeneuve, and Roger Budd, and her best friend and husband, Cook.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026 from 4pm until 7pm in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. Interment will be at Grandview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Rochester at a later date. Blessed be her memory.