Memorial Services for Laura Marie Wilson, Age 48 of Mansfield, Missouri will be held on Monday, October 5th, 2026 at The Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home, Mountain Grove, Missouri, beginning at 2:00 PM.
Laura M. Wilson was born on September 15, 1978, in Lakewood, Ohio, daughter of the late Dale Wilson and Denise Rodan. She passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, surrounded by family in Mountain Grove, Missouri, at the age of 48.
Laura did not have an easy life, but she made the most of it. She was smart, curious, and a “proud nerd,” as she called herself. She earned associate degrees in paralegal studies, business management, and computer science. She also studied criminal justice with a focus on juvenile justice. She once dreamed of going to law school, however, balancing work, raising children, and continuing her education meant making difficult choices.
Her love of learning never left her. She later came close to completing her bachelor’s degree in computer science, focusing on networking and database management, and had been fast-tracked toward a master’s in cybersecurity, at Missouri State University, before her health interrupted those plans. She missed school but kept reading and learning about whatever caught her interest—from medicine and politics to travel, geography, and history. There was always something more she wanted to know.
She earned her Class A CDL and began a career in truck driving. Her work as a truck driver took her on many adventures, but her favorite place to be was at the beach, especially during a thunderstorm, or with her friends.
On December 21, 2021, she married her loving husband, David Clopton. True to their vows, he was there, in sickness, and in health, and stayed by her side until she passed.
Her biggest pride and joy in life were her three daughters, Cheyenne, Ashley, and Maya. She got a tattoo for each of them so she could always carry a piece of her girls with her, wherever she went.
Laura had such an infectious laugh— the kind that could light up an entire room. She loved singing and dancing and had an amazing spirit through and through. Her loved ones will miss that laughter, her humor, and the chance to hear her voice again.
Her parents preceded her in death.
Laura is survived by her husband, David Clopton, 51; her daughters, Cheyenne Wilson, 31, Ashley Goff, 21, and Maya Garrison, 14; and her brothers, Dale Wilson, 57, and Sean Wilson, 47.
No words can fully hold a person’s life, or the love that remains, when they are gone. Her memory will live on in the stories shared about her, the moments held close, and the little things that will always bring her to mind.
