Harold Ray Bender

Harold Ray Bender
August 29, 1928 - June 23, 2008
Kalona, Iowa
Visitation: Noon - 8:00 p.m. June 25, 2008 at Yoder-Powell Funeral Home
Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m. June 26, 2008 at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church
Interment: June 26, 2008 at Lower Deer Creek Cemetery
Harold Ray Bender was born August 29, 1928 in rural Johnson County, Iowa the son of Daniel and Maude (Swartzendruber) Bender. His father died when he was an infant and his mother married John W. Gingerich. He attended the Iowa Mennonite High School. On April 17, 1949 he was united in marriage to Ila Hochstetler at the East Union Mennonite Church. He has lived in the Wellman and Kalona communities all of his life where farmed until 1989 and then hauled livestock for many area farmers. He was a member of the Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church where he served on the Board of Elders, and was Sunday School Superintendent and teacher. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, fishing, puzzles, whistling and sports. Harold died on Monday, June 23, 2008 at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona of cancer at the age of 79. Harold is survived by his wife Ila of Kalona;6 children - Nancy Gehman and husband Glen of Silver Spring, Maryland; Ronald Bender and wife Lorene of Wellman; John Bender and wife Marilyn of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Ileen Miller and husband Elmer of Kalona; David Bender and wife Kathy of Sarasota, Florida; Rose Bender of Johnstown, Pennsylvania; 12 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; and 2 half sisters - Beulah Miller and Marianna Miller of Kalona. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Daniel E. Bender.
A memorial fund has been established for the Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church.