Geralyn “Gerry” Wotzka, 90, Little Falls

June 7, 1929 - April 27, 2020

Geralyn “Gerry” Wotzka, 90 year old resident of Little Falls, MN died April 27,2020 at St Otto’s Care Facility Little Falls, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at a later date when her family and friends can all attend.

Gerry Wotzka was born June 7, 1929 in Flensburg, Minnesota to the late Joseph and Anna (Fedor) Korll. She graduated from St Francis High School in Little Falls with the class of 1947 Gerry then went on to graduate from the North Dakota State School of Science with a degree in nursing. She was united in marriage to Sylvester “Syl” Wotzka at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Flensburg, MN on October 2, 1951. The couple made their home in Little Falls, MN, where she worked as a registered nurse at St. Gabriel’s Hospital and St. Otto’s Nursing Home, and finally as a nursing instructor at the Brainerd Area Vocational Technical School.

Gerry’s life was guided by faith, love of family, and service to others.

Her faith was the pillar of her character. With a deep love and devotion to God, she jokingly referred to herself as a “churchy person”. She said prayers for everyone, and we all felt a little blessed when we had her talking to God about our needs. Heaven is going to be very familiar with her!

Gerry’s love of family was so apparent in everything she did. She loved to cook, and man was she good at it! Family gatherings were full of love, laughter, song, and delicious food…and lots of it! She particularly loved baking with all of her grandchildren. Holiday cookie baking will forever be a fond memory for the whole family.

Her service to others included the sick, the elderly, the dying, those in need, the unborn and her nursing students. In the last years of her life, we would meet so many of her former nursing students who would give testimonials about their nursing instructor who made such a difference in their lives. These being the same students that then took good care of her at St. Otto’s Care Center where Gerry resided in her final days.

Our Mom had an infectious laughter that permeated the hallways where she worked and the homes she visited. Her joyful presence could be felt wherever she went. She inspired family, friends, relatives, students, and co-workers to be better people and take on the hard challenges they faced. And she always had a sympathetic heart to young children and those in need of care, and an ear to those who needed to be listened to especially in times of need. She knew that this life, although precious, is temporary; she had an abiding conviction that how you lived this life would determine where you would go in the next.

Well done good and faithful servant! You made the world a better place, and you will forever live on in our hearts.

Remembering her as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and sister are her loving children; Mary (Scott) Lagaard of Cambridge, MN, Paul (Patricia Bailey) Wotzka of Weaver, MN, Timothy Wotzka of Deer River, MN, Terry (Rita) Wotzka of Sauk Rapids, MN, Iris (Gary Peterson) Wotzka of Stillwater, MN; sister Iris (Robert) Surma, grandchildren Soren, Marin, Monika, Samuel, Sarah, Anna, Rachel, Emily, Mathew, and Noah and great grandchildren, Lucia, Theodore, and Leah. She was preceded in death by her parents, loving husband Sylvester, and siblings, Patricia (Leonard) Rutz, and James Korll.

Donations, in memoriam to

St. Otto’s Care Center -- Little Falls, Minnesota

St. Croix Hospice -- Sartell, Minnesota

Thank you for remembering our mother.