Mary Edna Bender, 84, of Kalona, passed from this life on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona. Her funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Sharon Bethel Mennonite Church. Burial will follow at the Sharon Bethel Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at the Sharon Bethel Mennonite Church. A memorial fund has been established for the Sharon Bethel School. The Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Mary Edna was born January 12, 1942, in Kalona, Iowa, the daughter of David H. and Susan J. (Yoder) Bender. She spent many years serving in missions in both Mt. View and Harrison, Arkansas. After returning to Iowa, she taught at Sharon Bethel School and worked as a cook and housekeeper at Pleasantview Home. Mary Edna was a faithful member of the Sharon Bethel Mennonite Church and enjoyed piecing quilts.
Survivors include her brothers Henry (Yvonne) Bender of Oregon, Enos Bender of Kalona, three brothers-in-law: Manaas Burkholder, Francis Swartzenderuber, Joseph T. Miller, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Preceding Mary Edna in death were her parents, five sisters: Katie Bender, Mabel Burkholder, Esther Miller, Sara Mae Swartzentruber, and Anna Goode, and one brother, Harvey D. Bender.
