Laura Christen (Grimshaw) Hale

Laura Christen Hale went to be with the Lord on Sunday, August 13th at the age of 46.

She lived in Yukon, Oklahoma and is survived by her husband, Victor Hale, and her children Matt Cantrell and his wife Janis, and her youngest, Sam Cantrell. She is also survived by her parents, Lee and Debbie Grimshaw, and her siblings, Daniel Grimshaw and Corrie Grimshaw. Laura was born and raised in Concord, California. She attended a Wesleyan church with her family. She went to Mt. Diablo High School, where she played flute in a marching band and participated in theatre productions. After graduation, she married Joshua Cantrell. Their son Matthew was born in 1996.

Soon after, they moved to San Diego, where Laura attended community college, learning early childhood education. She attended Santee Wesleyan Church, and she was baptized while there. They moved back to Concord, where Laura taught the three-year-old class at First Lutheran Preschool for several years. In 2001, they moved to Greeley, Colorado. Laura attended University of Northern Colorado and achieved her BA in Theater with a minor in English. Laura helped stage many productions, working behind the scenes in stage management, running lighting, and making sets. The productions she helped stage included The Secret Garden, the Pirates of Penzance, and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. While in Greeley, she attended Greeley Wesleyan Church.

In 2004, Laura & her family moved to Edmond Oklahoma. Laura worked various jobs, teaching preschool and eventually landing as manager of the custom framing counter at Michael’s. In 2007, her son Samuel was born in Oklahoma City. She began attending Crossings Church, where she would be a faithful attendee for the rest of her life.

In 2008, she separated from her husband, Josh Cantrell. She spent years working hard and supporting her two children. She met her second husband, Victor Hale, at Crossings, and they were married in 2014.

Laura loved to serve whenever possible. At church, she ran lights in the service, helped in the nursery, and volunteered with junior high girls, including being a summer camp counselor and chaperoning on trips.

Laura was curious and adventurous and adopted a wide range of hobbies. She spent weekends learning whitewater rafting and ziplining at Riversport. She also was a lifelong crafter. She crocheted hats for cancer patients, baby blankets for church friends and scarves and dishtowels and cute little animals for whomever she thought of.

Laura was a lifelong believer in Christ and encouraged many people in their faith. She is remembered as someone who served faithfully, loved unwaveringly, and tirelessly worked to put others first.

The Bible verse she kept near her was Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”