Lauren Kosovec

Lauren Kosovec IRON MOUNTAIN - Lauren Ann Kosovec, 22, of Minneapolis, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003, of a pulmonary embolism. She was born March 26, 1980, at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, Wis. She attended Kennedy Elementary School, Schenk (Whitehorse) Middle School and graduated with honors from Edgewood High School in 1998. Lauren was a member of the Monona diving team and Kehl's School of Dance. She was an avid tennis player on her high school team and was thrilled to be able to go to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open tournaments. She was a member of the Madison Curling Club and curled in the mixed league with her father; played in the handbell choir with her mother at St. Dennis Church; and also enjoyed skiing, playing card games and watching movies. Lauren was a senior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. Her junior year, she studied in Winterthur, Switzerland at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences Switzerland, Global Seminar 2001. She loved cars, especially Corvettes, but she became a fan of the Audi TT when she got to tour the Audi plant in Germany on her seminar. She dreamed of returning to Germany to work as an automotive engineer. Lauren was recently diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a common, yet often undiagnosed condition that affects nearly five million American women. She wrote in her last paper for composition class that she was happy to be diagnosed. Lauren joined a PCOS Listserv and she said it was "very uplifting" to meet so many women who could relate to her symptoms and problems caused by the condition. She felt very strongly that people need to be informed of this disease and find a way to cure it. She is survived by her parents, Michael and Linda of Madison; her sister, Michelle of St. Paul, Minn.; her beloved kitty, Daisy; her maternal grandparents, Laurence and Patricia Varda of Kingsford; paternal grandparents, John and Lenore Kosovec of Kingsford, and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends she adored. Lauren was preceded in death by her aunt and godmother, Denise Kosovec Ghere. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Gunderson East Funeral Home, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Gunderson East Funeral Home. Visitation will also be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain. Prayer services will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at St. Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Kingsford. Fr. Michael Woempner will officiate. Burial will be in Cemetery Park in Iron Mountain. Pallbearers will be Robert Varda, Matthew Ghere, Brian Ghere, Daniel Ghere, James Ghere Jr., and Anthony Hart. Honorary pallbearer is Eric Kosovec. Lauren's family asks that donations be made in her name to the Polycystic Ovarian Association, Inc. Her beautiful smile and her sense of humor will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Lauren felt very strongly about helping others and is an organ donor. The Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain is in charge of local arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the Kosovec family online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com

Lauren Kosovec

January 16, 2003