Laura L. Azure

Laura L. Azure, 93 of Devils Lake ND passed away Sunday, November 8, 2020 at Eventide Heartland Care Center.

Laura Lorraine Marie Ida Azure was born December 5, 1926, in Devils Lake, North Dakota. The daughter of Andrew Rondeau and Mary (Bouvette) Rondeau.  Laura attended Washington Elementary School and graduated from Central High School in 1944.

Shortly after graduation, she began working for Northwestern Bell Telephone.  Always thinking about her friends, she got her best friend Thelma (Tippy) Martin to apply for an operator job and together they both took such delight in telling stories about the phone call connections and conversations they were often subjected to while connecting calls.  Tippy was a friend she could trust and their lifelong friendship provided a good blueprint on how to have and maintain a loving friendship.  They lived next door to one another for years while they raised their collective children whom they would dispatch several times a week to each other’s homes in order to borrow various missing recipe ingredients. They’d laugh that they had been passing the same cup of sugar for years.

Always a hard worker, Laura worked full time throughout her marriage at various jobs which included social work, land management, grant programs, food services and clerical work.  She was an amazing scratch cook and could make an entire meal from a scantily supplied pantry which was always completed with some type of dessert.  She never wanted people to be hungry and would embrace the challenge of feeding  any friends her children or husband brought home. She once made a taco dinner in her home for a large group of friends and marveled when a local Devils Lake coach managed to consume at least 27 of her tacos.  Her love for cooking brought her to work in the early days at Leevers deli intermittently, Spirit Lake Dining and for several priests at St. Joseph Church long after she retired.  Besides cooking, she loved to dance with her brother Andy (Sard) Rondeau and with Chib.  She never passed up a chance to dance and when the opportunity presented, she’d drag any one of her available children and make them dance with her.

On November 4, 1948, she married Martin (Chib) Azure in Devils Lake where they lived, worked and raised their 7 children.  

In 1974, Laura and Chib relocated part of their tribe of children to Toppenish, Washington where  Laura worked for the Yakama Nation.  While in Toppenish, she also worked part time for the St. Aloysius Catholic Church until 1980.  In an effort to return closer to “home” Chib transferred to Fort Yates, North Dakota until he retired.  They returned to the home Chib had built for her in Devils Lake. 

Laura was a strong woman of faith and spirituality. She belonged to the Devils Lake Women’s Auxiliary and said more rosaries than you could count.  She loved dogs and had many in her lifetime. She loved a good romance novel, watching The Golden Girls, singing old familiar tunes,  hearing about her grandchildren, giving her dogs way too many treats, talking on the phone to catch up with friends and family and she still loved to cook although for a much smaller crowd. She had a great sense of humor and would make comments that were hysterical and on point for the occasion. She relished in making her kids laugh by telling many stories at Chibs expense such as collecting enough S&H Green Stamps to purchase a coveted rifle. After a short practice round, she and Chib entered a local competition where she soundly bested Chib with her expert marksmanship. He never lived that down. She took pride in her children’s successes as well as their hunting, athletic and singing skills which she very often suggested were qualities they had all gotten from her. 

Laura was a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. She spent many years researching and locating necessary documentation to solidify her rights as a proud, enrolled Native American woman. She was a proud descendant of Chief Little Shell III and her dream was always to secure the rights for enrollment, privilege and honor to her grandchildren with pride and their Grandmother’s legacy was to ensure their Native American lineage.  

She enjoyed telling stories about the many aunts, uncles and cousins who have preceded her in death and her faith would suggest that she will be in good company.

Preceded in death by her husband Martin (Chib) Azure, son Ross Pete Azure, Brother Andrew (Sard) Rondeau Jr., her parents Andrew and Mary Rondeau,  and all her beloved Aunts and Uncles. 

She is survived by her children, Lynette Azure, Scott Azure, Leann (Neil) Christianson, Tim (Carrie) Azure, Simone (Therese Wos) Azure, Lane (Shannon) Azure. She also took pride and pleasure in helping raise her grandson Corey (Raul Carbajal) Azure. 

She had 17 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.  Our family has deep gratitude for the care she received from her caretakers and JD, Thank you.

P.S. Mom, you did like sweets……. 

Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake with the Very Reverend C.F. Wilhelm celebrating the Mass.  Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery. The funeral Mass will be live-streamed through the St. Joseph Catholic church facebook page.  

Visitation will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Friday, November 13^th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a Rosary and Scripture Service at 7:00 p.m. led by Reverend Mr. Ken Severinson, Deacon.  Visitation will continue Saturday one hour prior to the Mass.

Please keep your health and safety and that of others in mind when attending services. Please wear a mask and use hand sanitizer.  The family thanks you so much for your thoughts and prayers throughout these past months. God Bless You.