06/03/2026
Say hello to Barb Laur! Barb moved to Forte’ in March of 2024 and has been an active and friendly face in our community ever since. She grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from Lincoln High School before moving to Aberdeen in 1979.
Barb has two sons, Paul and Jeff, along with 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild who keep her smiling. Before retirement, she worked as a secretary for Dakota Claims. Barb is also a proud cancer survivor, showing strength and positivity through every chapter of life.
When Barb is not enjoying activities around Forte’, you can usually find her doing word searches, creating diamond art, reading, playing cards, or fishing. She is also a huge fan of the Minnesota Twins! Her favorite authors are Debbie Macomber and Beverly Lewis. Barb also shared that she used to ride horses and loved going on trail rides.
One thing residents know about Barb is her famous mac and cheese — it is always a hit at our potlucks! Growing up, her children especially loved when she made pork roast, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. The secret? Using her grandmother’s pan, which became a treasured family tradition.
Barb loves joining our lunch outings, food trucks with live music, and community potlucks. Her favorite lunch stop is McDonald's, and for a future outing she would love for the group to visit the new A&W Restaurant location in Webster.
One of the things Barb enjoys most about living at Forte’ is watching the building come to life “brick by brick.” She knew right away she wanted to live here and made sure to be one of the first residents so she could get the perfect south-facing apartment. She also appreciates that everything is conveniently located in one place — especially not having to use stairs for laundry!
Barb’s advice for anyone considering moving to Forte’:
“Join in the activities and outings. Everyone is so friendly — just come and see for yourself!”
