[br][br]Laura Jo (Lauri) Miscoi Kendrick, 41, was received into the arms of Jesus on January 24th, 2015. She was born on April 11, 1973, in Mt. Clemens, MI, moved to Jacksonville, NC, at age 9 months, then in 1977 the family moved to Spokane, WA, where she would live the rest of her life.
She attended Farwell and Midway Elementary Schools, Mead Junior High, and Mead High School. Growing up, she danced tap, ballet and jazz at the Dance Emporium and performed with the Jazzmine Performing Group in local and regional competitions. She loved running and ran Bloomsday each year while she was in school, usually turning in times of under one hour.
In March 1992, Lauri's son Taigen was born which led to her getting her GED and trying valiantly to complete classes at Spokane Falls Community College. Unbeknownst to anyone, Lauri had a severely impaired immune system and suffered many bouts of pneumonia and other serious illnesses until she was finally diagnosed at age 29 and started receiving immunoglobulin infusions. She also suffered many years with undiagnosed narcolepsy which led to depression which she fought for many years.
She received her MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) certificate and started working toward her AA degree, but her declining health made that difficult. Over the years she worked for Humanix employment agency in several long and short term positions and held permanent positions at Starlight Motel and Insurance Auto Auctions.
In 1996 Lauri found she was pregnant with twins. She prayed hard for an answer, and a miraculous way only God could arrange, Stu and Sue Harris of Mercer Island, WA, came into her life and adopted Katrina (Katie) and Nicholas (Nick) in an open adoption. The twins were close to her heart, she saw them on a regular basis, and in the last few years had become good friends with them.
In 2006 she started dating Harley; they married and had Hayley Jo Pearl in 2008. She said that God had put Harley in her life and would be forever grateful for his love and support during several years of her progressing liver failure, which culminated in a liver transplant on July 1 of 2014.
Sadly, she spent most of her last months in Seattle either in or near the hospital. In October, she was feeling well enough to come home for a week to spend time with her family. At Christmas she was able to come back to Spokane on Dec. 19, but by Christmas day she was so ill she had to be airlifted back to Seattle, where she passed away at UW Medical Center January 24, 2015, from a massive infection.
Lauri had complete faith and trust in the Lord and knew where she was going after this life. She never worried about dying; however, she did worry about leaving others to grieve.
Lauri Miscoi Kendrick loved fiercely, argued persistently, laughed easily, and told hilarious stories. She was independent and headstrong, yet sensitive and saw only the good in people.
She is survived by her husband Harley, son Taigen Graham, daughter Hayley Kendrick, parents Gordon and Barb Miscoi of Colbert, WA; sisters Joanna (Jodie) Ownbey, and Jennifer (Chad) Rankin; grandfather George Kobylensky; nieces and nephews Ethan and Taylor Ownbey and Tyler and Ashley Rankin; aunts and uncle Pam Miscoi and Bob and Pat Kobylensky, cousins Nick, Paul (Monica) Kobylensky and Brittany (Matt) Schaefer; Stu, Sue, Nick and Katy Harris (adoptive family). Her paternal grandparents Harold and Dorothy Miscoi and maternal grandmother Barbara Kobylensky preceded her in death.
A memorial service is being held on Sunday, February 15, at 1:30 at Covenant United Methodist Church, 15515 Gleneden Drive, Spokane 99208.