Frances Pearl Kotaska

Frances Pearl Kotaska, 74, of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Born in June to Wilbert and Pearl (Forrest) Johnson, she held the distinction of being the last recorded home birth in Hiram Township, Cass County, Minnesota. Fran graduated from West High School in Minneapolis and later met and married Robert Kotaska. She earned her Licensed Practical Nursing designation and devoted many years to caring for others, working at St. Mary’s Hospital, Dakota Clinic, Sanford Clinic, and Hospice as an LPN before finishing her career as a phone nurse.

Fran was preceded in death by her father, Wilbert; her brother, Paul; her sister, Carolyn; and her son, Adam. She leaves behind her husband, Robert, and the many lives she touched through her dedicated service and quiet strength.