Beverly R. Bender

ARLINGTON – Beverly R. Bender, age 93, of Arlington, passed away peacefully on  Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at Divine Health Rehabilitation and Nursing in Lodi.

Beverly was born in Poynette on April 28, 1929, to the late George L. and Beatrice R. (Hall) Brauer. She grew up on a farm outside of Poynette.  Beverly went to Hastie School, a rural one-room K-8 school very near her home.  She graduated from Poynette High School and kept in touch with many of her classmates the rest of her life, including members of the T7. 

She went to Madison Business College for one year and then worked at University Hospital.  She married  William “Bill” Bender on September 24, 1949.  Together they lived in Arlington their whole married life and raised two children – William “Buck” and Kari.  Bev worked at the Gimbel’s and then the Boston Store for many years, especially enjoying the children’s department sales when she had grandchildren!  Bev loved her family, cats, flowers and birds, taking much joy from all.

Bev is survived by her son, William (Karen) Bender of Poynette;  her daughter, Kari Bender of Wausau;  grandchildren, Caitlin (Matthew) Fahy and Cory (Karen) Bender;  great-grandchildren, Cillian and Maeve Fahy, and Anna and Lily Bender, all of Poynette;  her brother-in-law, Richard Grinde of Waunakee, her claimed grandson, Louis (Adam) Liu;  and her AFS daughter, Stella.   She is further survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents; her brother-in-law, Kent Bender; sisters-in-law, Pauline Bender and Anita Grinde; her special cousin, Eldon (Dorothy) Hall.  Also preceding her in death were some of her childhood friends, including dear friend, Zelda Droster.  

Memorial Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, January 23, 2023, at Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Poynette, with Chaplain Dan Pulsfus officiating. Inurnment will follow in Dekorra Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Monday at the funeral home in Poynette.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family, which will be passed onto the Bender Family Scholarship in Poynette Schools, and the local Humane Society.

The family would like to thank the staff at Divine Rehab and Moments Hospice for their care.

The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Poynette is assisting the family.