03/25/2025
Laura Virginia (Peightal) Jeffery of Cripple Creek, Colorado, 96 years old, passed peacefully on March 16, 2025. She had a wonderful life of faith, family, and friends.
Laura and her husband, James (“Bud”), raised two sons, Jim and Rick, and one daughter, Judy. They also had two foster daughters, Donna and Linda. They were blessed with 13 grandchildren and many great- and great-great grandchildren. Bud and Laura were proud of and deeply loved all their family. The Jefferys were married for over 60 years until Bud passed away in 2013.
After Bud and Laura had raised their children, their daughter Judy was injured in a car accident at the age of 23 and became a quadriplegic. They sold everything and moved from California to Cripple Creek in 1974 to help take care of her and her two young sons while she recovered. This is what brought them to their final and cherished community. Many of their kids and grandkids lived with them in Cripple Creek at some point.
They were involved with many churches but settled on Cripple Creek Baptist Church which they had helped start.
Bud and Laura created a company called the Cripple Creek Toy Makers. She made donkey puppets and cloth dolls, and he made wooden ride-on train toys and smaller toys which were sold in other small tourist towns. They made sand candles, and Bud was proud to make the frames for his daughter Judy's paintings.
For years they operated a clothes distribution closet and food bank out of the house and served the community in a variety of other ways. Laura felt God brought them to their house for this purpose.
In 1988 they were recipients of one of the first “9 Who Care” awards that 9News gave out. They went to Denver, were hosted in a fancy hotel, recognized on the news and given the award. They enjoyed each other’s company, nature, and loved spending time in the aspen grove at their rural property.
Laura was very proud to be a founding member of the Gold Camp Victorian Society where she made some of her best friends. She enjoyed wearing a Victorian bicycle outfit her friend had made. She portrayed the character of Frances Willard while telling her story about the women's suffrage movement. Laura still attended events this past year. She was also involved in the early stages of the Aspen Mine community center and senior club in Cripple Creek.
Laura oversaw the Jeffery House Ministry from her house for the last 20 years, where she helped people in transition. She held Bible study every Tuesday and insisted on it even in the last week of her life.
Laura loved her flower garden and delighted in delivering flowers throughout the community when she could. Children were special to her; she enjoyed attending Kids Church and giving parties for young ones. It is not possible to list all the charity activities she was involved in and the number of people she touched.
Anyone who knew Miss Laura, knows she would point up to the sky and give all the credit for anything she did to Jesus, for that is who she was.
Please join her celebration of life service at Cripple Creek Baptist Church on Saturday, March 29th, at 2:00 p.m. The church is located at 137 North 1st Street, at the corner of 1st St. and Carr Ave.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating in Laura’s memory to Cripple Creek Baptist Church, the Aspen Mine Center (Community of Caring), or the Gold Camp Victorian Society.
