Laura Evelyn (Waters) Swenson, age 63, passed away January 11, 2026, in Chanhassen, Minnesota from Alzheimer’s disease.

Laura was born in 1962 in St. Paul, MN to John and Catherine (Kay) Waters. Laura grew up with her seven siblings in Bloomington, MN. Laura developed an early love of singing and was a cantor at Nativity of Mary Church. She also sang in the choir at Lincoln High School, where she graduated from in 1980.

In 1984, Laura graduated from Winona State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. After graduation, she worked as a marketing professional for many years in Minneapolis.

Laura married Paul Swenson on September 9, 1994. They were married for 31 wonderful years and had two children together, Katherine and Joe, who they raised in Minnetonka.

Laura was a loving and dedicated mother. She was regularly involved in school functions and community events. She also had a keen eye for design, creating and running a design business selling magnet boards while Katherine and Joe were growing up.

Laura is survived by her husband, Paul; children, Katherine and Joe; siblings, Katy (Bob) Bohnsack, John Waters Jr., Terese (Mike) McCabe, Mark (Young) Waters, Maggie (Karl) Braun, Jill Waters, Jim (Lynn) Waters; siblings in-law Liz Waters and Ann (Rolf) Ringgold, and many more beloved friends and family.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John Sr. and Kay, and in-laws Roy and Mary Lou.

The family has asked that Memorial Contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or a food shelf of your choice, a cause that was close to Laura’s heart. The family also would like to thank Elysian Senior Homes of Chanhassen for their compassionate care at the end of Laura’s life.

Funeral to be held Tuesday, January 20 at 10:30am at St Therese of Deephaven, with visitation beforehand at 9am. Services will be followed by a luncheon. For those unable to make it in person, the funeral will be livestreamed and can be viewed at st-therese.org/live.