19, 2020, at Pendo Senior Care home.
She was born in Seattle on Feb 6, 1930, to Richard and Elsa (Tjulander)
Rottman. She grew up in the Green Lake area of Seattle with her
beloved brother Willis, in the home her father built. She attended
Seattle University, graduating with a degree in Medical Technology. She
was employed by Group Health Cooperative in their Laboratory, retiring
with 35 years of service.
Mary Lou was a shy girl, but when she met Paul Max Bjerre Jensen of
Denmark, she blossomed. Not long after they met, Paul was drafted
into the US Army and was soon off to Germany for 18 months. Mary
Lou went to live with her girlfriends in San Diego but returned to
Seattle after a year. She waited patiently for the love of her life, and
when Paul returned from overseas, they were married in 1958. They
moved back to the Green Lake area and lived in the house next to her
childhood home for eight years, to help her mother next door. When
Elsa passed, Mary Lou and Paul moved back into her beloved home,
where they both lived for the remainder of their married life. Mary Lou
loved their deck and enjoyed entertaining family and friends there. In
her last years, she frequently sat on the deck, taking in the sunshine! In
July, 2020, because they required more care, they moved to Pendo
Senior Care Center.
Mary Lou and Paul had 63 years of marriage and enjoyed their life
together. They cherished times with their families, both in the US and
Europe. They had a large group of friends and often attended dancing
events in both Seattle and Europe. One of Paul’s favorite memories of
Mary Lou is the time she was encouraged by an insistent innkeeper to
dance on the tables in a rathskeller in Germany, and when she did so,
he had a hard time getting her to stop! They thoroughly enjoyed their
travels: in Europe, around the west in the US, with several lovely trips
to Hawaii.
Mary Lou was always ready with a good, and frequently, bawdy, joke.
But she was also known for her infectious laugh, her kindness, and her
thoughtfulness to others. She had an amazing memory, and we will all
be lost without our history keeper.
For many years, Mary Lou and Paul owned and rented out the house
next to theirs. Through this they gained a large group of younger
friends, who have stayed in contact and watched out for them. These
became their extended family, and the whole neighborhood knew Mary
Lou and Paul. They were always generous with their time, and often
treated family or friends to unexpected gifts or dinners. We know they
both are terribly missed in the neighborhood.
Mary Lou was pre-deceased by her parents Richard and Elsa, and her
brother Willis in 2001. She is survived by her loving husband, Paul-
Max, her nephews and niece, Rick (Karen Mulcahy) Rottman, Dan
Rottman, Holly (Louis) Petersen, and many relatives in Denmark and
Sweden, as well as their extended family and friends in the
neighborhood and around the northwest. They are too numerous to
name, but you know who you are, and we are thankful for all of your
love and care for Mary Lou.
Due to the current COVID pandemic, a celebration of Mary Lou’s life
may be carried out sometime in the future. In lieu of flowers please
make a donation to the Kaiser-Permanente Hospice Program.
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