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A celebration of life for Marilyn Bender, 77, of Kalona, will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Kalona Mennonite Church with Pastors Josh Lundberg and Don Patterson officiating. Burial will follow at the Sharon Hill Cemetery in Kalona. Visitation will be held Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, from 3 – 7 p.m., at Kalona Mennonite Church. A memorial fund has been established for Kalona Mennonite Church and the Kalona First Responders. The Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Marilyn (Miller) Bender was born March 18, 1946, in Kalona, the daughter of Paris L and Lydia (Briskey) Miller. She attended Prairie Dale rural school. On June 24, 1967, she was united in marriage to Derald Bender at the Kalona Mennonite Church. When her brother and sister-in-law died suddenly in an accident, she and Derald opened their home to her two nieces and nephew and raised them as her own. The couple owned and operated the Kalona Bakery for 35 years.
Marilyn was a member of the Kalona Area Chamber of Commerce and was a strong supporter of the Kalona community, giving tirelessly to help promote the town. She enjoyed spending time with her grandkids, quilting, doing embroidery work, and baking, especially sugar cookies, monster cookies, fluff, and her famous potato salad. Marilyn had a generous, giving spirit, always willing to help anyone.
Survivors include her husband: Derald of Kalona; son: Mike (Brenda) Bender of Kalona; daughter: Vicki (Brian) Strasser of Homestead; sons: Keith (Cheryl) Miller of Goshen, Indiana and Kevin (Linda) Miller of Center Point; daughters: Kathy (Richard) Richardson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Karla (Brent) Graber of North English, and Kim (Bob) Cox of Williamsburg; 21 grandchildren: Cassidy Bender (Ben Bermel), Abe Bender, Luke and Will Strasser, Justin, Troy, Shannon, Stephen, Kristen, Hannah, Kyle, Trent, Kendra, Pat, Amanda, Molly, McKenna, Reece, Braidon, Tanner and Riley; numerous great-grandchildren; two sisters: Alma Hershberger of Kalona and Sally (John) Hershberger of Kalona; and two sisters-in-law: Ruby Miller of Kalona and Karen Miller of Iowa City.
Preceding her in death were her parents; five brothers: Henry (Ella), Robert, Milton, Owen, and Charles “Chip” Miller, her sister: Anna Peiffer; and one brother-in-law: John D. Hershberger.
