Laura (Jones) Fletcher

Grandpa and Grandma Blazzard
(my mom's parents)

I thought we'd begin with how I got my name My mom’s dad is Max Blazzard and he had an aunt named Laura. So I am named after my great aunt Laura. It was pronounced Lara as is mine and spelled Laura, which most people pronounce as Lora. This happens to be the bane of my existence. As a teenager, friends would call my house asking for Lora to which my dad would reply that no Lora lived there and hang up. Lots of confusion and frustration later, I would eventually find out who called and what they wanted.

left to right: Mae, Sharon, Dave and Max Blazzard

Anyway, I am named after this aunt because she was always particularly nice to my grandpa Max. My grandpa’s parents divorced early in his life and so he was raised by his grandma Julia (hence my lil sis’s name) and his aunt Laura. Aunt Laura was idolized by the family because of her kind and giving nature. She always tried to be extra nice to grandpa. When she would make ice cream, all of the kids would swarm around waiting to see who she would give the beaters to lick and she would always give them to Max. When the kids would all come in for pie she would inevitably give Max the largest slice. When Max was a boy his Grandma Julia would get so frustrated because she fed her chickens everyday and she still had to buy eggs because they wouldn’t lay any. Little did she know but it was because Max was gathering up the eggs before she had a chance and selling them to the local store for a nickel a piece so he could buy candy. Aunt Laura knew all along but never told on him.

So even though I've been called Laurel, Lora, and Laira throughout my life, I've always been grateful for my name because I know I was named for a purpose. My mom and dad wanted me to lo9ok up to my great-great Aunt Laura and try to be like her.

from left to right: Annie, Laura, Devin, Mae Blazzard, Max Blazzard