Mary Frances Rotter
March 20, 1938 ~ August 1, 2026
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from [their] point of view…until you climb inside of [their] skin and walk around in it.” — Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird

Mary Frances Rotter, 88, a sassy and brilliant queen measuring barely 5 feet tall, peacefully left this earth on August 1, 2026. Mary was born on March 20, 1938 in Lancaster County, Nebraska. A devout German-Irish Catholic, Mary spent her earliest years during the Depression and World War II on a small midwestern farm where she learned to love the outdoors and all the creatures in it, except chickens. She loathed getting their poop stuck between her toes “every single damned time” she walked barefoot outside. Her parents were George Ernest and Gertrude (Burke) Rotter. They were highly educated. Her father was born to be a farmer but after losing one of his arms in an accident, turned to education, completing a graduate degree and becoming the head of curriculum for the State of Nebraska. Her Mom was a brilliant chemist, also with the State of Nebraska. Mary was a Daddy’s girl, and cherished fishing and doing anything outdoors with her Dad.  But her hero was her Mom. Until Mary’s last days, she called upon her Mom, even in prayer, whenever she needed advice. Her parents instilled in her the deep importance of education that Mary maintained throughout her life. She attended Cathedral Catholic High School and graduated in 1956. She also studied music, learning both the piano and violin, and spent multiple Summers at the music conservatory in Estes Park, Colorado. She also was an avid reader - devouring thousands of books over the course of her lifetime. Mary met Darvin Matthew Jemming during high school and they married in 1956. They had seven children together. For the next three decades Mary wore many hats: she was a stay-at-home Mom, a piano instructor, a waitress, and even assisted a local dentist, as she helped support her family. Mary was known by all as an empathetic and open-minded friend wherever she lived; moving from Lincoln, to Illinois, to Iowa and then to Utah, where she has resided since 1979. Mary took great pride in her friends, and often would say “my greatest quality is my ability to make friends.”  In 1982, Mary divorced, starting her life over at 45 years old as a single woman. She returned to school after a 26-year hiatus, enrolled in the Salt Lake Technical Institute and upon completion of her associate’s degree, she received a full merit scholarship at the University of Utah, where she graduated in 1989 Magna cum Laude with her degree in Psychology, a minor in English and obtained her teaching certificate. Mary then taught language arts at Brockbank Junior High School in Magna, Utah for the next sixteen years, where she was revered for exposing students to novels such as “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Call of the Wild.” Mary was a proud “West-Sider” and lived in her West Valley home for forty-seven years. To this day, her students frequently reach out to her about the inspiration she was.
In 1992, Mary became friends with Bill W. and through her recovery and sober-living, she met Jim McMillan, fell in love and remarried in 1998. Jim learned that the way to Mary’s heart was through the outdoors. During the course of their marriage, they travelled up and down the western United States with their Ford pickup truck and fifth-wheel trailer. In particular, they loved to “snowbird” in Quartzite, Arizona during the winter months and enjoyed Maple Grove and other great places in Utah during the summertime.   After losing Jim to cancer in 2008, losing her beloved daughter Jen to cancer in 2014, and her son James to cancer 2015, Mary increased her focus on her surviving family and friends. She cherished celebrating their baptisms, their birthdays, their weddings, and helping them overcome whatever obstacles they faced until her final days. She proudly lived independently with her daughter-in-law, Paula Kanmore Jemming, until her last breath. Paula, Mary’s son James’ widow, initially came to Mary in need of a home. But, over the years she became more than a roommate and daughter-in-law; she was one of Mary’s closest friends and, ultimately, her caretaker to the end. Special thanks also to Maria Sanchez for helping Mary remain independent throughout her final days and winning her and her entire family’s heart. 
Surviving family members include her brother Tom Rotter; children Kathy (Steve) Jemming Corkery, Teresa (George) Jemming Hartman, Jodie (Todd) Jemming Palmer and Jonathan (Emilie) Jemming; 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her sons Darvin Jemming, Jr. and James (Paula) Jemming and her daughter, Jennifer (Tim) Jemming Vranizan.
Recitation of the rosary will be held Friday, September 18 at 6 p.m. at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, where friends may visit with the family until 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 19 at 10 a.m. at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 914 S 2200 W, Taylorsville, officiated by Father Robin. Friends are all invited to a luncheon and celebration of life after Mass. Graveside service will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 275 U Street, Salt Lake City.
Arrangements entrusted to Starks Funeral Parlor. Share your memories and photos with the Rotter family at www.starksfuneral.com.