Angela Kolling

story by | patricia carlson

Angela Kolling has a tattoo. The red and white bracelet wraps around her left ankle and has the name ‘Morgan’ surrounded by hearts printed on each side. This tattoo has meaning. It’s not something Angela got on a whim; she didn’t pick it out from a sample book. Unlike a tattoo inked out of rebellion or a misbegotten night, Angela’s tattoo is a symbol of unwavering love and devotion. The bracelet is a permanent reminder that someone is missing from Angela’s life—her daughter.

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Angela met Joe Kolling during college in Wahpeton. “She stalked me,” he says jokingly. In spite of drastically different personalities, they made a perfect match. Angela is feisty, stubborn and emotional. “I’m a woman, I like to cry, I yell,” she says. Admittedly, Joe is the opposite. “I tend to bottle things up and then unload,” he says. Neither of them could have known how their split personalities would help them cope with one of the worst experiences a parent could ever have. Because several years down the road, Angela and Joe would find themselves sitting in a hospital emergency room as their life turned upside down.