Laura Jean Magee was born on May 20, 1950 in Clarksdale, Mississippi to the late Doss and Laura Mae Magee. She was the 6th child born into this Union of 8 siblings. Laura accepted Christ into her life at an early age and was baptized at Centennial Baptist church in her hometown of Clarksdale, Miss.

Laura attended Higgins High School for the majority of her HS stretch, but ultimately ended up graduating from Clarksdale High School in 1970.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Laura decided to leave the south and headed to St. Louis, Missouri to live with her older brother L.D. and his wife Delores. In 1974, while still living in St. Louis, she became a mother to her first born Janet Latasha Magee, who she affectionately referred to as “Jan”.

By the late 70s, Laura migrated from St. Louis to Cleveland Ohio, to live and work closer to another one of her older siblings ,Maggie (Lawrence) Smith and her 2 nieces and nephews Larry and Magen who she adored.

Laura gained employment at Huron Road Hospital as a medical assistant, and also regularly took courses all through her adult life at Cuyahoga Community College, in Early Childhood Education.

As fate would have it, in 1981, Laura met John E. Newell. He became her lifelong friend and co-parent. To this Union, Four children were born: Patrisa Loren, Angela Sophia, Jumar Alyas, and Mariam Elaine Newell.

Laura poured effortlessly into her children, and that indefinitely became her lifetime passion. She was an advocate for Education, and was an active volunteer in the Cleveland Public School system, a system all of her children attended and graduated from-something she was extremely proud of and not afraid to brag about often. Through out her spiritual journey, she was a long standing member

of St. Marks Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and later at Everlasting Missionary Baptist Church, also in Cleveland.

Laura loved life and she loved family. She was an extraordinary mother, a devoted Grandmother, and loving Aunt, a proud Sister, and above all a humble servant of God. She is preceded in death by her father, (Doss) her mother, (Laura Mae) brothers (L.D. and Willie) sister (Berniece) and her daughter Janet.

Laura Jean leaves to cherish her memory her 4 remaining children: Patrisa, Angela, Jumar and Mariam, a daughter in law Beverly (Her Bevvy Boo) 4 sisters: Violet “Janie” Furdge, Inez Mclin, Maggie Smith and Josephine “Josie” Magee, 9 Grandchildren: Jonathan, Joshua, Aminah, Summer,, Elias Jr, Hazel, Ayden, Jaxson and Naomi Laura and 4 Great Grandchildren Aamir, Milani, Kylo, and Jace.