Christine Kotek

Christine D. Kotek, age 58, of Kilkenny, passed away after a brief illness on Sunday, April 17, 2011, at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester with her family at her side.   Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Dr., Faribault. Interment will be at the St. George Catholic Cemetery in St. George, MN on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.   Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home and Crematory on Monday, April 25, 2011 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Tuesday for one hour prior to the services at the church.   Christine Delores Kokesch, the daughter of John and Delores (Bieraugel) Kokesch, was born on April 4, 1953, in New Ulm, MN. She graduated from Franklin High School in 1971 and Anoka Technical College in 1972. In 1972, she started her career as a Psychiatric Technician at the Faribault Regional Center. She worked there for 22 years, retiring for health reasons. Christine married Stanley Kotek on June 28, 1977 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After receiving a kidney and pancreas transplant, Christine gained an appreciation for the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester. Christine was very religious and prayer was a very important part of her daily life. She was a member of Priests for Life, was a very strong Pro-Life advocate, and member of Divine Mercy Catholic Church. One of her favorite trips was traveling to an Eucharistic Conference at Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in Birmingham, AL and visiting the Shrine in Hanceville, AL   She is survived by her husband, Stan Kotek of Kilkenny; step-daughter, Kelly (Troy) Hansen of Waseca; three grandsons, Austin, Nicholas, and Zachary Hansen; parents, John and Delores Kokesch of Franklin, MN; siblings, Peggy (Loren) Evenson of Gibbon, MN, Allen (Jacalyn) Kokesch of Morton, MN, Cynthia Kokesch of Franklin, MN, Claudia (Greg) Smith of Franklin, MN, Rebecca (Steve) Henderson of Fairfax, MN, and Kevin (Debra) Kokesch of Franklin, MN; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.   She was preceded in death her sister, Mary Kokesch; four children in infancy; and maternal grandparents, Edwin and Marcella Bieraugel and paternal grandparents, Adolph and Myra Kokesch.