Confused!

This (?) is about my mother in law. She was recently told she had uterine cancer and that she needed to have a hysterectomy
(yet she never had an abnormal pap test.) when the doctors operated on her they told us that they found small nodules ( as small as a pin point) located in her colon and her diaphragm which they removed with a laser and cut out. They also told us that her reproductive organs were healthy (she didn't have uterine cancer as they thought) yet the still opted. To remove her reproductive organs. I was extremely happy to find out her cancer was at its beginning stage and that her reproductive organs were healthy and at the same time worried and at unease when i/we were told that they removed her reproductive organs... Many of the family members didn't seem to be worried about it saying : "she doesnt't need her reproductive organs anyways" yet I think thats a all too common myth from my reading material on women and their reproductive organs.
When I thought she had uterine cancer there was no doubt in my mind they need to take the infectious area out!!! But to remove a healthy reproductive organs for preventive measures? I thought it was a bit strange. (the family does not have a history of cancer) I thought was just all do common problem of doctors jumping the gun to give women hysterectomies .
Is normal for doctors to preform a hysterectomy on woman with cancer in the abdominal /colon area? Should I have anything to be worried about? And whats the point of pap test ?