Laura Thalhamer 1936 - 2022

Laura Thalhamer was born in Boise, Idaho, to John and Eva Stricklen. She graduated from Boise High School in 1954, and Brigham Young University in 1960, where she majored in accounting.

Throughout her life, she loved drawing, oil and watercolor painting, winning a number of Best of Shows and First Place ribbons in Denver and Sequim for her landscapes, llama and dog pictures.

At age eight, Laura learned to play the trumpet. She was first-chair trumpet in the Boise High School Concert and Marching Band and in the popular seven-piece all-girl dance band called the Melody Maids in the late '50s. The group played at various resorts and events in Idaho and Montana.

After graduating from BYU in 1960, Laura was employed by the federal government as senior accountant at the Accounting and Finance Center in Denver, and later as budget officer at Wheeler AFB on Oahu, Hawaii. She was nominated as Federal Employee of the Year.

Upon retirement, she entered the real estate profession, enjoying eight years selling residential real estate in the Denver area.

She and her former husband, Gerald Thalhamer, traveled extensively in Europe and lived on Oahu, Hawaii, for five years.
Moving to Sequim in 1986, they owned and operated Vintage Year Llamas for 16 years, raising show llamas whose bloodlines have been incorporated into other breeding farms all across the country.

Laura personally designed the two llama farms, homes, barns and facilities they built in Sequim.

The loves of her life were the various canines that graced her life, three Pekingese, two Pyrenees, and five wonderful Bichon Frise dogs that made each day special.

Laura is survived by her son, Jerry Thalhamer (Judy) of McMinnville, Oregon; two granddaughters, Melissa Norris of Denver and Dottie Massey of Newberg, Oregon; and five great-granddaughters in Oregon and Colorado.

Laura was a member of the McMinnville Seventh-day Adventist Church for the past eight years.

Memorial contributions should be made to ADRA (International Relief Agency); 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Springs, MD 20904-9869. To leave online condolences, please visit www.macyandson.com