Holly, Colo.: Marvin Bender passed away at his home in Holly on May 12, 2013. He was 73 ... or, in leap years, 18.
A memorial service for Marvin Bender will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 1, 2013, at the First Lutheran Church of Britton. The Rev. Terrill Sorensen will officiate.
Inurnment of his ashes will take place at the Britton Cemetery, where he will join his wife for all eternity.
Marvin Bender was born to Reiny and Frieda (Meidinger) Bender in Aberdeen on Feb. 29, 1940. The oldest of five, he grew up a farmer in northeastern South Dakota. After several moves, his parents settled on a farm east of Britton. He went to school in Britton and then onto a diesel program in Fargo, N.D., while continuing to help on the farm. In his late teens, he joined the Army National Guard with several buddies and served for seven years in the Howitzer Service Battery motor pool.
Marvin married Valera K. Behnke of Britton on Dec. 28, 1963. Early in their marriage, they lived in Britton and, in 1965, purchased the Behnke homestead 4 miles east of Britton and began farming. Along with their acreage, they also raised stock cows, feeder hogs . . . and various other types of livestock - along with three children.
He was very much an entrepreneur, but always a farmer at heart. He and Val owned several other businesses, including Britton Livestock Auction, Bender Trucking and a custom harvesting business, harvesting wheat with John Deere combines from Texas to South Dakota each summer. He also partnered and farmed with several of his family members for a number of years. While in Britton, Marvin was a member of the First Lutheran Church.
After the children had graduated from high school, he and Val moved to Syracuse, Kan., in 1987 and, shortly thereafter, to Holly, where he continued his trucking business up until 2012. He and Val also owned and operated several other businesses in Holly.
Marvin enjoyed fast cars younger in life and, then on the farm, built and repaired many things in his shop. He was always chasing the next dollar - but loved nothing more than farming - and his faithful four-legged companion, Kalli, whom was always by his side.
He is survived by his three children: Shawnlee (Donnie) Hammit of Holly, Colo., Bradley (Jane) Bender of Glendale, Ariz., and Candie (Randy) Beck of Hecla; 10 grandchildren: Sara Leigh, Philip Muth, Ryan (Kim) Hammit, Casey (Patricia) Hammit, Dylan Hammit, Zach and Gage Bender, Katie, Kaylin and Anthony Beck; five great-grandchildren: Maleia Buer, Maddix Delbrune, Kallie Mackner and Millie Leigh, Mackenzie Hammit; and three great-grandchildren to join the family this summer; two sisters: Diane (Richard) Rath of Arvada, Colo., and LaVonne (Roger) Furman of Britton; and two brothers: Oscar (Donna) Bender of Parker, Ariz., and Arlie (Lorene) Bender of Britton.
Preceding him in death were his parents and wife.
An online guestbook and obituary is available at pricefuneralchapel.net.