Oct 7, 2009

Laura Heuser Dies

Laura Heuser, an early activist expanding the role of women in agriculture, and the owner, with her husband Wally, of Summit Tree Sales in Hartford, Mich., died Oct. 4. She was 81.

Laura was a familiar figure in the fruit world, traveling with her husband and daughter, Wanda Gale, to horticulture shows and on tours with the International Fruit Tree Association, of which her husband was a founder.

The couple spent their careers developing and propagating new varieties and evaluating orchard designs and rootstock performance.

In the 1971, Laura was one of the founders of Women for the Survival of Agriculture in Michigan, one of the first state organizations that went on to form the national American Agri-Women. Laura was a frequent and fervent speaker on behalf of family farmers and public policy affecting farmers. She was a founder and the keynote speaker at the first National Farm Women’s Forum in 1974, when American Agri-Women was created.

She became a nationally recognized motivational speaker, speaking to agricultural groups in all 50 states and several countries.

Laura graduated from Michigan State University, magna cum laude, in 1949 with a bachelor of science in horticulture. She married Wallace E. Heuser on July 16, 1950. Laura is survived by her husband, five children, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was a member of the Agricultural Extension Advisory Committee, the Food Advisory Committee to the U.S. Congress, the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture and was awarded the Congressional Award. She received Distinguished Service Awards from Michigan State University and MSU Extension, the Michigan Horticultural Society and the Van Buren County Farm Bureau. She received the outstanding alumnus award from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU. She was also an awarded member of the Beaumont Tower Society of MSU.

Laura was active in the Hartford United Methodist Church, a Sunday school chair and teacher for many years, a certified lay-speaker who spoke at churches statewide.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hartford United Methodist Church, the Michigan State Horticultural Society Trust Fund or Michigan Agri-Women.

Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Hartford United Methodist Church in Hartford. A memorial funeral service will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the church.