Bender, Goldie J. Miller (1919-2004)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2004 Sep 27 p. 8

Birth date: 1919 Dec 24

text of obituary:

GOLDIE J. BENDER

Goldie J. Bender, 84, of Kalona, Iowa, died Sept. 7, 2004, at Pleasantview Home after a long illness. She was born Dec. 24, 1919, to Joe and Barbara (Swartzendruber) Miller in rural Parnell.

She married Delmar Bender on Aug. 20, 1940, in rural Parnell. She lived in the Parnell, Oxford and Kalona communities.

She received her teaching certificate from Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls. She was a teacher and homemaker and taught school for two years in rural schools. She held local and state offices in the Federated Women's Club, was president of the WCTU and served at the state and local levels of WCTU. She served on the board for Concern for Women and on the Changing Family Conference Planning Committee at the University of Iowa. For many years she was a discussion leader for Bible Study Fellowship, and had prayed for 18 years that a local chapter of BSF would be established in Iowa City.

She was a member of West Union Mennonite Church of rural Parnell, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, vacation Bible school superintendent and teacher, and as a song leader in the primary and junior departments. She served in special interests for Iowa-Nebraska Conference, was on the library committee and served with Mennonite Women's Home.

Survivors include her husband, Delmar, of Kalona; a son, John David and his wife, Cathy, of Boulder, Colo.; two daughters, Alice Golden and Virginia Rew and her husband, Ken, both of Iowa City, and a son and daughter (twins), Les Bender and his wife, Kathy, of Kasilof, Alaska, and Laurie Bender of Chicago; a brother, Marvin J. Miller of Parnell; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services were held at West Union Mennonite Church. Burial was in West Union Cemetery.