Laura Danielle Mueldener

1993 - 2020

Laura Danielle Mueldener

West Des Moines - Laura Danielle Mueldener, 26, died in Philadelphia, PA, on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Laura was completing a year-long graduate audiology residency at Temple University Medical Center. In view of the COVID-19 restrictions, a private family ceremony will be held. A public memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.

Laura (with her twin sister Emma) was born Dec. 28, 1993, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Kathy Nutt and Kirk Mueldener. She grew up in West Des Moines in the Jordan Creek/Stilwell school zones and had friendships that began in preschool and lasted throughout her life. Laura was a loving and funny child. She and Emma hosted near-annual sleepover parties with their friends during the Christmas-New Year holiday season when their birthday occurred. Growing up as a twin taught her to compete. She sampled softball and soccer as activities, but discovered debate team was her calling. She loved researching and developing arguments, exceling at Lincoln-Douglas debate. During high school Laura also worked at Hy-Vee in West Des Moines as a checker while her sister Emma worked behind the service counter at the Dahl's down the street. This sometimes caused confusion for customers who shopped both stores. Laura graduated from Valley High School in West Des Moines in 2012.

After considering English as a college major, Laura discovered audiology. She majored in Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Iowa, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelors of Arts with distinction and honors in Speech and Hearing Science and a Certificate in Writing. While studying as an undergrad, Laura worked as a Starbucks barista at Hy-Vee in Iowa City, informing her family that a certain football coach was a poor tipper when picking up coffee for his team. She also began working in hearing research as an undergrad, presenting her honors thesis paper/poster at the national conference of the American Auditory Society. She was allowed to take graduate level coursework in audiology, performing at the top of her class. Laura was ecstatic about her acceptance into the nationally ranked graduate program in Speech Pathology and Audiology at the University of Iowa. Her class was small (nine students) and Laura became close to them all during her graduate school coursework, research and clinical experiences. During her undergraduate/graduate studies, she was credited with co-author status on a paper with Dr. Shawn Goodman. In a note to her family, Dr. Goodman wrote: "Laura was one of those students who come along only rarely. I saw incredible potential in her, and I feel privileged to have shared in her growth and development." She received a Master's Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology in May 2019. Laura was working towards her AuD in Speech Pathology and Audiology at the University of Iowa at the time of her death and was completing her fourth-year residency as part of the program. Her AuD will be awarded posthumously. Another professor wrote: "Laura was a bright student who cared deeply for her patients. She was an amazing student clinician. She set the standard for dedication to her patients. Her fellow students all looked up to her knowing that she set the bar for high scores in all their classes." Although Philadelphia was a challenging place to live on her own, Laura was gaining great and varied experience on many forms of audiology testing and treatment at Temple University Medical Center, and was working on a hearing aid research project with staff there.

Laura loved reading and writing essays; listening to/watching podcasts, comedy and scary movies; and playing board games. Still posted on the refrigerator door is her winning Scrabble sheet earned years ago -- it was a hotly contested game in our family at the time and she finally won it on that occasion. She was very computer proficient; loved her families' multiple cats and dogs; and was becoming a terrific cook. She had a passion for hearing! Her favorite activity was hiking outdoors and she spent many summers at her father's family cabin in Estes Park, CO.

We all loved her deeply and miss her so much. We keep wanting to call/text her (as we did daily) about funny things and to send her pictures of our cats, dogs and birds, who she loved so much.

Laura is survived by her twin sister Emma Mueldener, brothers Kyle Mueldener and Joshua Mueldener, and mother Kathy Nutt, father Kirk Mueldener, and step-mother Melissa Mueldener. She is also survived by multiple uncles, aunts and cousins living coast to coast. Laura was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother Betty Nutt and paternal grandparents Chuck and Allene Mueldener.

In lieu of flowers, please honor Laura's interests with donations suggested to the University of Iowa Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, or to a charitable organization of choice.

Laura's family thanks their extended communities of family, work, church, and school for their outpouring of support and love at this difficult time. Love each other. Care for each other. If you suffer from anxiety and/or depression, do not hide it. Please reach out to your family and friends, and to community mental health care providers, NAMI, or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-8255.