Laura Mae (Neven) Perrett, age 87, formerly of Kenyon, MN, passed away peacefully in her home near Milwaukee, WI, on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 after a series of health issues. A memorial service will be held at Holden Lutheran Church in Kenyon, MN, on Saturday, July 16, 2016. Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m., memorial service at 2:00 p.m., with burial following in the Holden Cemetery. Fellowship and refreshments will follow.Laura was born on October 11, 1928 in Runnells, Iowa, the daughter of John Edward and Mary (Murrow) Neven. She grew up on a small Polk County, IA, family farm with her younger brother, Edward Eugene "Gene. " Laura and her brother were both active in 4-H as youths, with their mother being their 4-H club leader for several years. She inherited her love for gardening from her mother and continued to garden with help even into her mid-eighties.She attended grade school with her brother in a one room school house down the road from their family's farm until 8th grade and graduated in 1946 from Runnels High School, now Southeast Polk School. She received a degree in Home Economics Education from Iowa State University in 1950. She taught home economics in Sigourney and Des Moines, Iowa.She met her husband of 48 years, Don, through a good friend when she was teaching high school home economics in Minneapolis, MN. They were married on August 6, 1960, at Holden Lutheran Church, of Kenyon, MN. They first lived in Wanamingo, MN, but soon built a house together west of town. They had two children: Darrel, and two years later, LaRae. In the early 80's the family moved to another dairy farm in Kenyon, MN, on the edge of beautiful Sogn Valley. Laura and Don resided there until Don's death in 2008, when Laura moved to eastern Wisconsin with her daughter LaRae and Tim Heimerl.Laura's hobbies besides gardening included cooking, sewing, local history, antiques, reading, coffee with friends, finding the perfect gifts for her two grandchildren, Katrina and Justin Heimerl, and dreaming of many future sewing, craft, and remodeling projects too many to list. She was instrumental in saving Wanamingo's Icon, the Larson Log Cabin, discovered as neighbors were tearing down their old home for a new one. She helped organize the careful deconstruction and later reconstruction at its current location on Main Street, Wanamingo, in the mid 1970's, just in time for the bicentennial celebration of 1776-1976.She enjoyed going for late summer afternoon drives with her husband, Don, in their red and white1966 Pontiac Catalina convertible with the top down, and entering it in local small town parades. Over the years she was in many various clubs including Project, Circle, Bible study groups, and served as a 4-H project leader for many years even after her children were no longer in 4-H.Later in life, she was employed as a Home Health Aide for Goodhue County, MN, making several good friendships with coworkers that lasted long after each had retired, meeting up for lunches and birthday celebrations which continued a few times even after her moving to Wisconsin. Since moving to Wisconsin, she attended St. John's Lutheran Church with her family, and had participated in the Ladies Aid, Quilting group, and Bible study groups, enjoying the fellowship and worship there.She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Don, and her brother, Edward Eugene Neven, in September 2015. She will be missed by her family, friends, and especially by her cat.