LUDIE AUDINE GRAGSON LAIRD

July 9, 1925 - Nov. 8, 2017

Born July 9, 1925 in Spur, Texas, Ludie Audine Gragson Laird passed away on November 8, 2017 in a Las Vegas memory care facility. She was 92 years old.

A private family service will be held at Westside Cemetery in Tehachapi, California in early December.

Ludie was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Elic Hunter Laird, Jr. who passed away in July 1995. After Elic’s passing Ludie was married to Robert Alexander Penrod in 1997 and they were married at the time of his death in 2010.

Ludie was a resident of Brawley, California from 1930 to 1985 and a graduate of Brawley Union High School Class of 1943. While working for J.J. Newberry Stores in 1943 she met the love of her life, Elic Laird, who was a young marine assigned to shore patrol in Brawley. Elic was stationed at Camp Dunlap Marine Corps Base outside of Niland, California in 1943. They were married in 1944. While raising her family, Ludie’s career was focused on numerous positions with school districts. The last 22 years of her career was spent as the Counselor/Administrative Secretary in the Brawley Union High School District until her retirement in 1985. Upon her retirement, Ludie and Elic sold their home in Brawley and traveled throughout the 50 states, sometimes as long as two years at a time. In 1991, they settled in Tehachapi, California which was described by Ludie as “one of the most beautiful communities in the United States”. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Brawley and Tehachapi. Ludie loved to cook and was noted for her lemon meringue pie. Ludie also loved playing card games, traveling, touring and fishing.

Ludie is survived by her three sons, Larry Elic Laird and wife Joanne of Ma`alaea Maui, Jerry William Laird and wife Terry of Bishop California and Alan Dale Laird of Las Vegas, Nevada. She is survived by seven grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.