Memorial to a Basket Maker

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Peggy Koch

November 22, 1946 - January 30, 2000

On January 30, 2000 a wonderful basket weaver named Peggy Koch died from a heart attack brought on by complications of pneumonia, flu and juvenile diabetes. Peggy touched the lives of many people, especially her friends online at the America Online Basket Makers Message Board. Her friends wished to honor her memory by making a special basket and together they discussed the design. Peggy was also a dedicated foster mother for a capuchin monkey for the Helping Hands Foundation, Monkey Helpers for the Disabled. She was raising Davey the Unweaver, as he was fondly known, and shared stories of his activities with everyone on the basket board and included a little something from him with every basket swap. At first most thought that Davey was her husband and the stories seemed all the funnier for it. They laughed at themselves when they discovered the truth. Davey was the inspiration for the memorial basket and his likeness is in the base of the twill design.

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Can you see the monkey climbing the tree?

The writing of the basket pattern proved to be a healing project for everyone. It was discussed frequently on the basket board with ideas, suggestions and information. It was truly a group effort and helped everyone to work through their grief from losing a very good friend. It brought everyone together in a special way with a special cause. In it they discovered that Peggy was the same kind of special friend to everyone, always offering emotional support, basket and computer information.

The Monkey Business Twill basket pattern was written with the express purpose of raising money for Peggy’s favorite charity, Helping Hands. As of August 2000, 368 patterns have been purchased and over $2000 has been donated to Helping Hands in Peggy’s memory and for the care of Davey. Her AOL Basket Board friends bought patterns and featured the basket in one of their swaps which included an additional $10 donation by each to purchase a brick on the Simian Walk at the garden patio of the Bernice and Milton Stern Building of the breeding facility at Southwicks Zoo in Menden, Massachusetts. It is inscribed “Peggy Koch and Davey the Unweaver”. Peggy’s family received baskets and a copy of the pattern which includes a memorial section about Peggy as well as information about Helping Hands and the “Monkey Moms”, a support group Peggy organized. Several basket makers made memorial baskets so that each of the Monkey Moms had a keepsake.

The Monkey Business Twill basket pattern is a symbol of love and friendship. It is a testament of the uniqueness of one small group of women who took their grief and changed it into positive energy with a selfless purpose. They promote and sell the pattern at basket events nationwide and at their local guilds. Peggy’s legacy of friendship resides with them.

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The Monkey Business Twill basket pattern can be purchased for $5.00 online from Basketpatterns.com or from Arnies Arts “N” Crafts, Inc., 517-366-8794. The pattern has 11 photographs and eight pages, three of which are memorial pages. It includes the picture of Peggy and one that she created of Davey as a “flower monkey”.

For more information about Helping Hands, phone 617-787-4419 or visit online http://www.helpinghandsmonkey.org/ . To make a donation, send your check to Helping Hands at 1505 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02134.

plotherbs@aol.com