Margaret Bender
SIGOURNEY-Margaret Elizabeth (Sieren) Bender – dedicated daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and gaming enthusiast passed away on June 8, 2024.
Margaret was born to August and Clara (Becker) Sieren on November 12, 1929, in Sigourney, Keokuk County, Iowa. She graduated from Sigourney High School in 1947. Margaret was employed as Secretary for the Keokuk County Superintendent of Schools from 1947 to 1954. Margaret married William Claire Bender from Millersburg, Iowa in 1954 in Sigourney, Iowa. They farmed in Iowa County before buying what would become their home near Keswick. They raised their family and farmed there for 49 years until they moved to Sigourney in 2011. Margaret also was employed by the US Postal Service in Keswick, Webster, Ollie, North English, Des Moines, Ottumwa and Eldon where she finished her Postal career as Post Master there.
Throughout her life, Margaret was an active member of her community, participating in The American Legion Auxiliary, Tri-County Music Boosters, and the St Mary’s Catholic Church Altar & Rosary Society. She was an avid gardener, cook, baker, seamstress, and was a member of the In Stitches Quilting Club. She loved crosswords, Sudoku, and family card games, and collected depression glass in her retirement years.
Margaret’s greatest joy and love in her life was spending time with family and friends. Likewise, family and friends greatest joy and love in their lives was spending time with Margaret. If you were family, you were perfect. If you were a true friend, you were her friend for life. One of those friends was Pat Altenhofen. Margaret and Pat were friends for over 80 years.
Survivors include sons Doug Bender and wife Joyce of Sigourney, Iowa and Terry Bender and wife Ann of Overland Park, Kansas; Daughters Susan Bender and husband David Shorr of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and Mary Jo (Bender) Feeney and husband Joe Feeney of Shadow Hills, California; nine grandchildren, and thirteen great grandchildren; Sisters-in-law Joan (Bollinger) Sieren from Sigourney, Iowa, Catherine (Bender) Rustemier from Satellite Beach, Florida, Monica (Bender) Flynn from Denver, Colorado, Donna (Bender) Erickson and her husband Richard Spidaliere from Melbourne, Florida, Bill & Chris (Bender) Gallin from Davenport, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents, August and Clara (Becker) Sieren, husband Bill in 2022, brothers Kenneth Sieren, Francis Sieren, and John Sieren, sisters-in-law, Mary Louise (Seaba) Sieren, and Dolly (Burton) Sieren, and brothers-in-law, Tom Flynn, Harley Erickson and Bill Rustemier.
Funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Sigourney with Rev. Robert Lathrop officiating. Burial will be at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Sigourney. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Cards and memorials may be mailed to Powell Funeral Home, P.O. Box 226, Sigourney, IA 52591. Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Sigourney is caring for Margaret and her family. Tributes may be made at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.