Visitation and Prayers Friday, March 16, 2018 after 6:00 PM
Prayer Service at 7:00 PM Rev. Steven Broderson Ohde Funeral Home, Manning, Iowa
Visitation will resume on Saturday morning at 9:30 AM at the church
Mass of the Christian Burial Saturday, March 17, 2018 ~ 10:30 AM Sacred Heart Church Templeton, Iowa
Reverend Shinoj Jose, Celebrant
Reverend Andrew Hoffman, Concelebrant
Lector Alan Muhlbauer
Gift Bearers Laurie's Granddaughters
Message in Music "How Great Thou Art" "One Day At A Time" "Ave Maria" "Amazing Grace" Sacred Heart Men's Choir
Jeanne Kerkhoff, Organist
Casket Bearers: Jeff Gross, Brendan Gross, Jay Hausman, A.J. Lange, Phil Sporrer, Mike Buffington
Interment Sacred Heart Cemetery Templeton, Iowa

Dolores "Laurie" Sextro, daughter of William and Loretta (Freund) Gross, was born April 19, 1933. She grew up on a farm near Earling, Iowa and graduated from St. Joseph's High School in Earling. Laurie then attended St. Mary's College in Omaha for one year before transferring to Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she studied Art and French and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. After college she was offered a Fullbright scholarship to study in Paris, but she decided to marry a pig farmer she met at a dance in Defiance. This decision was later heartily applauded by her three children.

On July 30, 1955, Laurie was united in marriage with Leonard Sextro in Earling and they made their home on the Sextro family farm in rural Manning. In 1999, they built a new home on Delta Ave.

Laurie dedicated most of her life to teaching, starting as a sixth grade teacher and eventually becoming a kindergarten teacher. She served as a classroom reading specialist up until she was 80 years old. She taught in Manning, Templeton and Halbur and finished up her career at Kuemper Catholic in Carroll.

Laurie was a member of the Sacred Heart Church in Templeton. She enjoyed her daily walks (dragging Leonard along), playing tennis, baking, spending time with her grandchildren and tending to her lawn and garden. She was very particular and hardworking, so it wasn't a surprise that their lawn, house and meals were always nearly perfect. She and Leonard loved to travel, and they especially enjoyed Australia and Ireland.

Laurie fell and broke her hip in December 2017 and later suffered heart issues leading to her hospitalization at Iowa Lutheran Hospital and died there on March 13, 2018, surrounded by her loved ones. She was 84 years old.

Laurie is survived by her husband Leonard Sextro of Manning; son Greg Sextro and wife Sandra of Manning, and son Mark Sextro and friend Clint Schweitzer of San Diego, California; a son-in-law Mike Buffington and wife Adele of San Diego; four granddaughters: Katie Sextro, Grace Sextro, Jennifer Buffington, and Marit Buffington; brother Don Gross of Council Bluffs; sisters-in-law Marlene Gross of Cedar Rapids and Diane Gross of Omaha; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter Teresa Buffington; brothers Francis, Bernard and Melvin Gross; sister-in-law Connie Gross; and nephews James and Stephen Gross.