Marie Rutar

Marie “Mary” Bernice (Zavorka) Rutar, 96 of Pender, NE, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Heritage of Emerson in Emerson, NE. The visitation will be held on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Cornerstone Assembly of God Church in Pender; with a Sharing of Memories Highlights starting at 7:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Pender. Burial will be in Rosehill Cemetery in Pender. Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation. In honor of Mary, the family kindly requests that anyone attending the services please wear your favorite floral attire. Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Pender.

Mary was born September 11, 1929, in Valparaiso, NE, to Louis Zavorka and Antonie Pavlica, growing up near Torrington WY. As a first-generation Czech, growing up she spoke fluent Czech and extremely proud of her heritage. She grew up in a large family of nine siblings and proud to be the only one to have graduated from high school.

Her life growing up on a farm was very demanding, doing work like her brothers– hoeing, milking, irrigating, scooping manure, riding horses, lifting heavy items and beet harvesting. At 18 she met the love of her life, John Rutar from Thurston, NE when he came to Torrington to buy a combine. A few months later, they were married and settled into Nebraska farm life and raised their six children near Thurston. She was happily married for 60 years.

In spite of her busy farm life of milking cows, feeding chickens, helping in the fields, Mary enjoyed many hobbies and activities: sewing, making rugs, crocheting, needlework, fabric painting, drawing, ceramics, playing Hawaiian guitar, square and polka dancing. She loved God, attending Catholic church weekly. She loved her flower gardens and had a large vegetable garden. And she loved to bake cakes, cookies, pies, and her Czech specialties of kolaches, fruit dumplings, apple strudel, rohliky (rolls), jaternice (yee-ter-neat-zas-Czech sausages). After leaving the farm, Mary worked as a cook in Thurston School as well as working as a nurse’s aide in Pender and Emerson. Mary is known for her good sense of humor and her laugh, as well as her big heart, loving God and willing to accept and love all kinds of people. She attributes many of the major events in her life as God’s loving intervention and protection, citing numerous examples where she felt God helped her and was faithful to her. She now is enjoying her new home in heaven with her best friend & love of her life on earth, Johnny Rutar, with both hoping and awaiting that we join them there. Till then we will miss her and look forward to being joined together once again.

Mary is survived by her children, Louis Rutar (Merry Lou) of Thurston, NE, Richard Rutar (Teresa) of Pender NE, Frances Rutar-Moore (Jim) of Colorado Springs, CO, Daniel Rutar (Ann) of Plattsmouth, NE, James Rutar (Tami) of Pender, NE, Tina Rutar-Sudbeck (Gregg) of Hampden, ME, with one stillborn boy between Daniel and James. Her children’s unions resulted in 25 grandchildren (including foster & stepchildren-4), 35 great grandchildren (including foster & step-7). Her grandchildren are as follows: Louis’ “Lou” children, Kris, Chad (Jen), Gina (Ryan-deceased), Nick (Colleen); Richard’s children, Nathan (Kaly), Heather (Chris), Adam (Brandy), Jared (deceased), Danielle (Nevin), Chris (Mikki), step grands, Derek (Molly), Trevor (Whitney); Frances’ children, Rochelle (Bryan), foster child, Maranda; Daniel’s “Dan” children, Jason (Beth), Stacey (Mark), Shawna, Ryan (Devlin); James “Jim” children, Courtney (Kiah), Austin, Spencer (Paige), foster child, Sulmy; Tina’s children, Dakota (Randa), Casey, Chance. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Marjorie Zavorka; brother, Charlie Zavorka; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Johnny Rutar; a stillborn son; 5 brothers, Wencil, Louis (June & Evlyn), Frank (Ruth), Joe Zavorka Sr, infant, Joe Zavorka Jr.; 3 sisters, Louise (George) Urbanek, Antonie (Johnny) Donbraska, Ann Votava (Jim); infant twin grandsons, Louis and Kevin Rutar; brother-in-law, Jerry (Rose) Rutar; sisters-in-law, Mary (Jerry) Malasek, Agnes (Henry) Pallas, Dororthy Zavorka; grandson, Marvin Jared Rutar; and grandson-in-law, Ryan Touney.