Meet Our Caring Team

Mike grew up in Glenwood, Minnesota, as the oldest of five children. He graduated in 1987 from Glenwood High School. In 1992, he married his high school sweetheart, Lara. They both went on to graduate from the University of Minnesota in 1994 with degrees in Mortuary Science. They returned to their hometown and served families at the Hoplin Funeral Home for over 11 years. In 2006, they moved to Missouri to work in children's ministry before returning to Minnesota in 2009. It was at that time that Mike returned to working in funeral service. Mike joined the staff at Kok Funeral Home & Cremation Service in 2011 and is honored to serve the communities in this area.

After many years of experience, Mike knows the commitment necessary to work with and walk beside families during difficult situations. He feels that attention to detail and serving the individualized unique needs of each family is critical. Mike considers it an honor to be a part of that sacred moment of saying goodbye to a loved one.

Mike and his wife, Lara, have two sons and two daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys being engaged in his children's lives, reading, do-it-yourself projects, playing all kinds of sports and staying active in their church.

Lara grew up in Glenwood, Minnesota. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, graduating in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in mortuary science. She married her high school sweetheart, Mike Shea, and they have enjoyed working together in funeral service for many years since then.

Lara’s passion for funeral service has grown over the years in witnessing the immense meaning of those end-of-life moments that are marked forever.

Lara values her time with her husband and their children: Caleb and his wife, Kristen; Zachary; Sophia; Elliana; and a growing number of grandchildren. She also enjoys reading, biking, being involved in their church, and staying engaged with the arenas of life their children and grandchildren are in.

Jessica Fenske grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and moved to Cottage Grove, Minnesota with her family in the spring of 2006. Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota in 2009, and has been working as a licensed funeral director since. She currently lives in St. Paul Park, Minnesota with her husband, Brad, and their daughter, Ripley. Their pet family includes a dog, Claypool, and a cat, Persia. 

Jessica enjoys volunteering in her community and helping out whenever she can. It is among one of the many ways she feels like she can give back to her community.

Jessica also enjoys the outdoors, traveling, movies, and the company of her family and friends. Some recent travels have taken her to Colorado where she enjoyed skiing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, hiking, and rollerblading. Above all, Jessica is passionate about her love for animals.

Originally from Prescott, WI, Amy lives in Cottage Grove and has many family members from this area as well. She has a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing and a master’s degree in criminal justice leadership. Amy spent 18 years in the criminal justice field as a 911 dispatcher in Anoka County and a criminal records manager at the University of Minnesota. 

Amy and her husband, Bob, have a son named Gabriel and a daughter named Raegan. Outside of work, being a hockey and dance mom occupies much of Amy’s spare time. She is active with the Cottage Grove Hockey Association and the Cottage Grove Football Association. Amy also loves to take on any baking challenge (besides wedding cakes!). 

Donna is a speaker and author who walks alongside people as they navigate the rocky path of grief and loss. She helps others move toward healing and forgiveness by sharing her story of loss, grief, and resiliency while giving hope to those who are in the early days of grief. Over the past 20+ years, she has been a part of community outreach efforts sponsored by funeral homes, churches, women’s groups, grief support groups, and beyond. Donna’s own story is a powerful example of how it is possible to not just survive but to thrive after loss.

Donna is the author of “A Journal for Your Journey” and “What Have You Done Since I left?” Her website is www.UnfinishedByDesign.com.

Molly grew up in Cold Spring, MN, and graduated from ROCORI High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in family social science from the University of Minnesota. Molly moved to Cottage Grove after college and has lived here since 1997. She worked in senior housing for most of her career, with an eight-year experience at Renewal by Andersen/Andersen Windows. 

Molly and her husband, Bill, have been married for nearly 30 years. They have two boys, Tucker and Charlie. Molly and Bill also have a dog named Lou and a cat named Kitty. Molly enjoys spending time with her family, sitting at neighborhood campfires, camping, fishing, and spending time in nature. She is honored to help serve families at the funeral home.

Shar Zilge officially joined the staff of Kok Funeral Homes as an Administrative Assistant in January 2013 after volunteering for months prior to that. She graduated from Rochelle Township High School in Illinois in 1965 but spent the majority of her life in and around Cottage Grove. She worked as an Administrative Assistant to the President of Cenex / Ag Agency.  Later, she held various positions with Dakota County ending as an Executive Assistant to the Public Health Director.  She retired in February 2010 to spend more time with her husband, Gene who passed away in April 2012.  Shar has two children and four grandsons. In her personal time, she enjoys watching her grandchildren's sports activities, riding a motorcycle, reading, and traveling - especially on cruises.