Terri Lynn (Walden) McLaughlin, 54, of Alliance, died Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Highland Park Care Center in Alliance. Her funeral service will be held at 10am on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at Alliance United Methodist Church with Pastor Gideon Achi officiating. Interment will follow at the Nebraska Veteran’s Cemetery in Alliance with Military Honors rendered by the United States Army Honor Guard. Visitation will be one hour prior to service time at the church. It is respectfully requested that in lieu of any flowers, memorials in Terri’s honor be made at the Sandhills State Bank in Alliance. Online condolences may be made by viewing Terri’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Family Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
Terri Lynn (Walden) McLaughlin was born on July 3rd, 1968, to Doyle and Sally (Kieffaber) Walden in Kansas City, Kansas. At a young age her family left the Kansas City area and moved to Poteau, Oklahoma, where she graduated from High School in 1986.
Terri’s next big life adventure would be to join the United States Army as a Patriot Missile crew member. After completing her training at Fort Bliss, Texas, she was assigned to the 32nd ADcom in Bitburg, Germany. Where she served as a Patriot Missile crew member and as a Unit Clerk. While stationed in Bitburg, Germany she met her husband, Marty. They were married March 10, 1993. To this union 2 sons were born, Seth in Germany and Martin in Texas. Upon her husband’s exit from the Army, Terri decided to reenlist for a second term, which kept the family in Germany for another 18 months. She was then assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas. Where she remained the rest of her military career.
After deciding not to reenlist for a third term, she exited the Army and moved to Alliance, NE to make a home where her husband and kids had previously moved. Throughout her years in Alliance, Terri worked for the City of Alliance twice. First as an Administrative Secretary and Building and Zoning Secretary both for the Fire Chief and second in the Public Transportation department. Upon leaving the City of Alliance the first time she went to EMD, a contract company for the Railroad, where she spent most of her work career. Upon leaving EMD she went back to the City of Alliance as a Public Transit Driver, wanting more out of life she applied to the Box Butte County Sheriff’s office for the position of dispatcher. She was hired and truly loved her job.
Terri had many joys in life, she so enjoyed her Sunday phone calls with her dad. She also enjoyed staying close in touch with her sister. When her boys were young, she learned to play soccer and coached her boys’ soccer teams, they had a blast. She loved reading, playing her online Bingo games, and spontaneous road trips, that took her family to many amazing destinations. She would never turn down the opportunity to go watch Charlie Blakeman and the Colorado Rockies. The past few years she found she liked camping and sitting on the Pontoon reading and talking with her husband while he fished. In the recent year she was blessed with a granddaughter and a grandson. She would glow every time they were around.
Terri is survived by her husband of thirty years Marty, her son Seth and granddaughter Madilyn McLaughlin, and son Martin (Kaylee) McLaughlin, and grandson Morgan McLaughlin all of Alliance, NE; sister Jennifer and brother-in-law Chris Harden of Kansas City; brother Tim Walden and sister Stacy Blaylock of Clarksville, IA; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Shawn and Robert Shimp of Alliance; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Terri is preceded in death by her parents Doyle and Sally (Kieffaber) Walden, father-in-law Martin McLaughlin, mother-in-law Bonnie McLaughlin, and brother-in-law Wayne McLaughlin, and numerous aunts and uncles.