Barbara Bender

April 3, 1924 - August 28, 2017

Barbara Bender, 93, of Kalona died Monday, August 28, 2017 at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona.

A memorial service will be held Friday, September 1, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the Kalona Mennonite Church in Kalona with Pastor Josh Lunberg officiating. Burial will be held prior to the service at 9:15 a.m. at the Sharon Hill Cemetery in Kalona. Visitation will be held Thursday, August 31 from 2:00-4:00 and 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Peterseim Funeral Home in Kalona. A memorial fund has been established for the Kalona Volunteer Fire Department and Iowa City Hospice.

Barbara (Stutzman) Bender was born April 3, 1924 in rural Johnson County, Iowa, the daughter of Ervin and Lydia (Bontrager) Stutzman. On December 24, 1944 she was united in marriage to Lloyd Bender at the Fairview Mennonite Church. She was a homemaker and also worked at Maplecrest Turkey Processing, the Kalona Bakery and cleaned houses. Barbara was a member of the Kalona Mennonite Church where she was active in the sewing group. She enjoyed gardening, canning, quilting, baking and being with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include four children: Derald (Marliyn) Bender, Dwight (Jenelle) Bender and Delwyn "Bud" Bender all of Kalona and Darlene Gingerich of Riverside; foster son, Mike (Emily) Ferguson of Kalona; seven grandchildren: Mike (Brenda) Bender, Vicki (Brian) Strausser, Kelby (Leanne) Bender, Tiffani (Richie) Davis, Torrey (Jody) Gingerich, Tyrell (Amanda) Gingerich, Tristan (Jacque) Gingerich; three foster grandchildren: Kelli (Justin) Schrock, Jodi (Solomon) Rudy, Mollie (Ryan) DeWitt; 15 great-grandchildren: Cassidy, Abe, Will, Luke, Madelyn, Morgyn, Lillian, Drew, Grady, Landry, Elsey, Adam, Jaxson, Kinsley and Kolton; four siblings: Leroy (Norma) Stutzman of Washington, Stanley (Shirley) Stutzman of Kalona, Alta Widmer of Iowa City and Ann Raber of Sarasota, Fla.

Preceding Barbara in death were her parents; her husband Lloyd; son-in-law Ron Gingerich; five brothers: John, Omar, Levi, Ervin Jr. and Henry; and four sisters: Mary Bontrager, Ada Stutzman and two infant sisters