Senska was born in the port city of Batanga in the
German Empire colony of
Kamerun, (now
Batanga,
Cameroon). She was the only child of Frank Radcliff Senska and Georgia B. Senska (
née Herrald),
Presbyterian missionaries. She graduated from University High School in
Iowa City, Iowa. She earned a
Bachelor of Arts and
Master of Arts degree from the
University of Iowa in 1935 and 1939, respectively. and her graduate degree in
applied arts (specializing in sculpture.) That summer, she briefly studied ceramics under
László Moholy-Nagy at the School of Design (now the
IIT Institute of Design) in Chicago. Moholy-Nagy had a strong influence on Senska, influencing not only her ceramic design but her teaching style as well. She served in the
United States Navy from 1942 to 1946 during World War II, where she was trained as a pilot. In the summer of 1946, She began teaching at Montana State University in Bozeman in 1946. While teaching at Montana State, Senska met fellow art professor
Jessie Spaulding Wilber. The two women became lifelong friends and companions. Frances said. "It was a great way to spend a childhood. Other kids had groups of friends and neighborhoods they grew up with, which is nice. On the other hand, it's real nice when you don't really feel you need to be part of a group." Senska retired from teaching in 1973. Wilber died October 2, 1989. Senska died on Christmas Day 2009 at her home in
Bozeman, Montana. ==Legacy, honors, and collections==