Laura Marie White

Laura Marie White was born on January 17^th, 1966, in Napa, California to her parents Michael Gray and Donna Steen.

As a child and young woman, she loved being outdoors and riding her horse. She competed in barrel racing at several rodeos as a teen. She graduated from Whitefish High School before attending Ricks College (now known as BYU-I) where she met her sweetheart and the love of her life, Willard White. They were married for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple on April 19^th, 1985.

After several years of miscarriages and infertility, Laura and Willard began looking into adoption. They first adopted Marcela when she was only 12 years old from Bolivia. A year later, they adopted Baya from Bolivia at age 8. The caboose of the family, Faith, was adopted at only three weeks old.

Each daughter had severe medical conditions that required years of medical visits and therapies. Laura took those challenges and did whatever necessary to ensure the quality of her daughters’ lives was incredible. Being a wife and a mother was the most rewarding career she could have had.

Laura was first diagnosed with Uterine Cancer in 2015. Despite the diagnosis and negative feedback of her doctors, Laura fought the cancer and became cancer free. In December of 2020, after a routine checkup, her doctor discovered several tumors. Laura fought her battle courageously, but the Lord called her home on June 19^th, 2023.

Laura loved music, the outdoors, having conversations, animals of all kinds, traveling, her community and the Gospel. She believed in helping others and she was a light to all she met. Her legacy of love and kindness will live on for many generations, as she was a positive influence in so many people’s lives.

She was preceded in death by her mother Donna Steen, her sister Amanda Gray, and her grandson Liam Mondaca.

She is survived in death by her father and stepmother (Michael and Brenda Gray), her stepfather (Earl Steen), three of her four siblings (David and Stephanie Gray, Monica and Brad Bateman, and Kathrine and Nick North), and her husband and children (Willard White, Marcela and Chris Mondaca, Baya White, and Faith White).

A viewing will be held Wednesday June 28, 2023 at the Porterville Chapel from 9:30 to 10:45 am, followed by the funeral services at 11 am.  

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to the GoFundMe created to alleviate the cost of the funeral. https://gofund.me/776713f4