My name is Paula Kopp and Margot and I were cousins. When I think through my memories of Margot, the first thing that comes to mind is how important family
was to her. No one is more supportive of the role of mother than Margot.
When we moved to Madison six years ago, Margot was so welcoming and so excited to finally have a cousin who lived in Madison. Our move wasn’t easy for me, and even more difficult for our children. Margot was such a great support to me. In her usual style, Margot was full of advice. But advice Margot-style was
never a lecture. She had a way of relaying a similar situation and how she handled it but always reminded me how I should do what was best for our family.
As I have been able to see more clearly in the past two years, Margot had such a gift as a mother in figuring out what each of you needed as an individual. She knew that sometimes that is very different that what one of your siblings may need.
When Margot learned about her pancreatic cancer, she really didn’t need to change her priorities. Margot was a woman of faith who knew what was important, and her family always came first. Because of my oncology nursing background, Margot and I had many discussions about the battle she was facing. I was privileged to be included with your family in many of the consults with the physicians, including a trip to Mayo for her surgery. We were usually a large group crammed into a small exam room.
The number in the group attending doctors appointments varied based on everyone’s needs—it was important to Margot that everyone had the opportunity to hear the information that they were ready to hear; to not hear the information first hand if they weren’t ready for that; and to miss appointments if they had other things to attend to.
At the end of an appointment, Margot would always look around the room and make sure that everyone had a chance to ask their questions and have their concerns heard before she would let the doctor leave. Margot handled her disease the same way she handled her life. She showed her grace, patience and gentle determination. While I knew a lot about your family through Margot, I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know you as individuals these past two years. I watched you work together as an incredible unit, especially as we took over the lounge at Mayo during Margot’s surgery.
You laughed, you knitted, you played games and you talked about how you felt. I know you will be able to continue to do all those things together as Margot’s spirit lives through you.
I would like to finish by sharing something that has been a comfort to me for the last 20 years. Our cousin, Tom Bergmann, died from leukemia. Today would have
been his 47th birthday. The following is a passage from the sermon by Pastor Koeppen at Tom’s funeral that made everything make sense for me. I have changed it for the situation we are faced with today.
“Cancer didn’t conquer Margot. Margot conquered cancer. Death, the greater end of cancer, was conquered by Christ. In Christ, Margot has conquered the greater and the lesser. Thanks be to God. Margot has cancer no more and cannot ever get it again.”
Thank you for including me in your extended family.
I have learned so much in watching all of you together.