Funeral Service will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 13, 2026, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm. Pastor Kathleen Ulland-Klinkner will officiate. Visitation will be held at Our Savior’s prior to the service, beginning at 9 a.m. Burial will follow in the New Ulm City Cemetery, after which lunch will be served at the church.

To leave an online condolence for Katie’s family, or to sign the guestbook, go to: www.mvfh.org

Katie is survived by her daughter, Kim (Dan) Hafstad of Eagan; sons, Eric Senske of Faribault and Matt (Joey) Senske of North Mankato; grandchildren Jordan Jenkins, Kezia Jenkins, Christina Hafstad, Joy Hafstad, Jack Senske, Brodie Martinka, Evan Senske, and Alex Senske; great-granddaughter Genessa Lantow; and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Senske; parents, Johnnie and Thelma Bryant; her sisters, June Huckins and Elsie Morris; and her brothers, J.L. “Buddy” Bryant and Bobby Bryant.

Annie Kate (“Katie”) Senske was born on Jan. 14, 1939, in Waco, Texas, to Johnnie & Thelma (Crabb) Bryant. She graduated from Waco High School in 1956. A year or so after graduation, she met a Minnesota boy named Jim Senske, who soon convinced her to relocate north. They married on January 3, 1959, and lived in St. Paul while Jim finished college.

Jim and Katie moved to New Ulm in 1960, and they never left. While Jim taught and coached in the New Ulm Public Schools, Katie raised their three kids and held down several jobs in the community, including a 15-year stint at Nicklasson Athletic Company. She also volunteered at the New Ulm Medical Center for more than 20 years.

Katie was the biggest fan of the baseball and basketball teams that Jim coached at New Ulm High School, and she never missed her children’s music performances and sporting events. In addition to supporting her family and religiously watching the Minnesota Twins, Katie’s passions included music and the arts, walking, travelling, and community service. She sang in the choir at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church for decades, was a long-time member of the New Ulm Noteables singing group, and sang at countless weddings and funerals in the New Ulm area.

Katie was tremendously proud to be a Native Texan. She and Jim took annual family vacations to the Lone Star State and they ultimately bought a winter home in the Rio Grande Valley, where Katie swam and sang with dozens of new friends while Jim played golf. While Katie never got used to Minnesota’s harsh winters or its distance from her family in Texas, she ultimately fell in love with New Ulm and fondly called it home for 66 years. She treasured the countless friendships that she made and maintained over the years.

Katie’s biggest passion, however, was being a grandmother. Jim was shocked and confused when Katie told him she didn’t want to spend winters in Texas anymore, but her explanation made perfect sense – she couldn’t tolerate not seeing her grandchildren for 4+ months each year. Her grandkids were thrilled with that decision, and they remained Katie’s biggest and most consistent sources of joy until the very end.

Katie belonged to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm for more than 60 years. She taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and as a soloist, and served on a number of committees. The church played a huge role in her spiritual and social lives.

Katie was the glue that held her family together, and words cannot convey her family’s sense of loss. She will be sorely missed.

In lieu of sending flowers, please do something special for a child, in Katie’s honor. She’d love that.

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