Margaret Rose LaMothe

Margaret LaMothe was born on February 18, 1937 to Otto and Bertha Schoellkopf, the second of their seven children. She grew up in Kansas City, Kansas near 42nd & Rainbow and attended Maccochaque (mack-o-jack) Elementary School and Rosedale High School graduating in 1955. After graduation Margaret went to work for Spencer Chemical in their downtown Kansas City office. While working at Spencer in the late 1960s she met a young man named Rodney LaMothe who called on the company for his warehousing business, or so the story goes. Whatever his reason for calling on Spencer, they started dating and were married six months later in January 1969. Initially they lived at Lake Waukomis where they had two boys, Charles Joseph (Joe) and David Rodney. In 1972 they moved to Leawood, Kansas to a home where Margaret would live until her passing. However, they kept a home at Lake Waukomis where they spent every fourth of July and many, many summer weekends with family and friends.

Margaret was a care giver at heart and the matriarch of the family in the truest sense of the word. She would always defer her comfort or needs to other people with a beauty and grace found in few others. She was the center of gravity for her immediate family whether that be her parents and six siblings earlier in life or her husband, two children and grandchildren later in life. She was always there with a kind word, a helping hand, a granny hug or a bag (inside joke)! Margaret was a lifelong member of the New Apostolic Church and her faith was at the core of everything she did. She was a wonderful gardener and someone who believed that “everything had its place and there is a place for everything” when it came to organizing her home. Margaret enjoyed cooking and especially passing down the family’s German recipes by teaching her sons and daughters-in-law the proper methods to do it right. She was a gracious host, hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve for all the family for over 50 years, in addition to many other holidays, birthdays, and other celebrations.

Margaret and Rod loved to travel. For many years they travelled with friends annually to Mexico. They traveled all over the world with friends made through an international warehouse association, most times they would take the boys, resulting in very special family time and beautiful memories. Margaret enjoyed travelling to Europe, especially Germany with her family to visit extended family in the “old country”. Sanibel Island, Florida was one of her favorite spots and in her later years spent most of the winter there with Rod hosting family and friends from home and spending time with friends made on the island over the years. Sanibel became a very special place for the whole family.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents Otto and Bertha Schoellkopf, her husband of forty-eight years Rodney LaMothe, her older sister Doris Beary, and her younger siblings Otto Schoellkopf, Jim Schoellkopf, Esther Foster and Robert Schoellkopf. She is survived by her sister Jane Kepner (Mission Viejo, CA), her sons Joe LaMothe (Cathy) and David LaMothe (Kristi), her beloved grandchildren Charlie, Anna, Lane, Kaden and Cahill, her great-grandson Charles Joseph (Joey) LaMothe, who was born one day before her passing, and numerous nieces and nephews who she loved very much.

In short Margaret was the best daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, granny, aunt or friend a person could ask for. We love you and will miss you, until we meet again!

The Family would like to thank Kansas City Hospice House and the University of Kansas Hospital for their expertise and compassion over the last few weeks.

A celebration of Life will be held at Rye Leawood, 10551 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS 66206, on Monday, January 19th from 4-7 pm. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday January 20th at Mount Moriah Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers the Family suggest a donation to a charity of your choice in Margaret’s name.