The Spirit of Giving Lives On
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Katherine BurgumSpirit of Giving: Katherine Burgum
One of the last journeys taken by Katherine Burgum and MeritCare started with an appointment at Roger Maris Cancer Center with her oncologist. Following the appointment, and with her family, she attended the opening of MeritCare Children's Hospital to witness the recognition of her husband, Joe. Shortly after, she was moved into MeritCare's palliative care unit where she passed away one week later. All three of those service areas – Roger Maris Cancer Center, Children's Hospital and palliative care became what they are, in part, because of Katherine's generosity. In the words of Deb Soliah, MeritCare Foundation executive director, "Katherine epitomizes the spirit of giving".
In 1962, as a self described "farm wife from Arthur, ND", Katherine was recruited to be the first president of the MeritCare Auxiliary. Her leadership and organizational skills helped to shape the Auxiliary and through that guiding start, the Auxiliary celebrates its 46th year this month. Her most significant impacts were with the MeritCare Foundation.
Katherine served as the first chairperson of the Foundation Board in 1987. She was the only woman on the board for numerous years and only ever missed one meeting – the one where she was named chair. Katherine's initial work as chair was to lead the very first capital campaign for the Foundation to help build the Roger Maris Cancer Center. Much later through her work with MeritCare she helped to make the palliative care wing a possibility and her last monetary gift, in her husband's memory, was to the Children's Hospital. As we celebrate our centennial, MeritCare would like to express gratitude to Katherine Burgum and her family for allowing the spirit of giving to live on in her memory.