Dorothy Bender

Dorothy Bender, 96, of Kalona, passed from this life on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona. A funeral will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 10:30 AM at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church in rural Kalona. The service will be available via Livestream at the Beatty Peterseim Facebook and YouTube pages. Burial will follow at the Lower Deer Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be held Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 3 – 6 PM at the Lower Deer Creek Church. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Iowa City Hospice or the Pleasantview Home. The Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Dorothy Addella (Bachman) Bender was born July 25, 1929, at the family home in rural Pomeroy, Iowa, the daughter of Aaron Raymond and Emma Elsie (Egli) Bachman. She was one of 11 children in her family. She grew up in a singing family and recorded an album with her sisters. After school Dorothy moved to the Kalona area to be an aid for her older sister’s family. She enjoyed her work as a nurse assistant at Mercy Hospital when she moved to Iowa City. While living in Iowa City she met Daniel Bender at a church function and on September 10, 1950, they were united in marriage at the Lower Deer Creek Church. The couple spent several months serving in voluntary service in New York, cooking and greeting guests at a camp there.

Dorothy was a devoted parent, loving spouse and friendly to all. She loved to read, laugh, play Skipbo, garden, cook, bake and volunteer at various jobs in her church. Family was a big priority to Dorothy, and she relished her time as a homemaker raising her six children. She invited guests on Sundays for large meals and was a gracious and hospitable hostess. Faith was the most vital part of her life, everything she did was out of her commitment to Jesus and her witness to Him.

Survivors include her children: Daniel (Evie) Bender of Kalona, IA, Jane (Tim) Miller of Sugarcreek, OH, Lois (Jim) Gingerich of Kalona, IA, Mairi (Loren) Helmuth of LaGrange, IN, Carol (John) Bates of Kalona, IA, Linda (John) Yutzy of Iowa City, IA; 22 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law Erna Bachman of Goshen, IN; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding Dorothy in death were her parents, her husband, two grandchildren: Angela and Andrew, three great-grandchildren: Eliza, Benji and Conrad, and ten siblings.

Dorothy’s family would like to thank Hospice of Iowa City and Pleasantview for their loving care these past few months.