Mary Laura Leddy was born in 1881 in Stevensville,Vermont, the eldest of eight children of Peter and Elizabeth (Lynch) Leddy. She lived in her early years on the Leddy farm in Stevensville and later on in Underhill Center. Subsequent years were spent in Burlington, where she died at the age of eight-four in 1965.

Laura was an untutored poet; her's was a purely natural gift. Her writing was for her a blessed retreat where she found expression for her personal thoughts and feeling. As she was always quiet and reserved, her poetry spoke for her

There is a mystical quality in Laura's religious poetry. Her particularly Irish love of the Faith and her devotion to the Church are beautifully celebrated in her poems. She had a special fondness for the village church which was the center for her life for so many years - the beloved St. Thomas' of Underhill Center.

Laura lived her faith and her life in the service of others; the ill of all ages knew her kind and gentle touch as she assisted in their care. Her love for children made her the "Favorite Aunt" of her young relatives.

- Mary Margaret Moore Audette (Laura's niece)