Sharon Bender
Obituary
It is with bittersweet joy that the
family of Sharon Bender announces her passing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on
March 7, 2018, at 79 years of age.
Sharon was born in Newton on Aug. 1,
1938, to Marvin and Frieda Franz. She graduated from Newton High
School in 1956 and was married to Darrel Bender of Moundridge on
April 13, 1957, at First Mennonite Church. The couple had two
children, Jolene and Kevin, also born in Newton.
As a teenager and young homemaker in
Newton, Sharon worked at Woolworth's, Cunningham's and as a telephone
operator. She also volunteered as a special needs teacher for grade
school-aged children. The family moved to Houston in 1969 when Darrel
pursued an opportunity in the mobile home business. Sharon launched
into a 25-year career in the oil and gas industry in Houston and then
in Tulsa when the couple moved to Sand Springs, Oklahoma, in 1993.
She retired in 2000 and continued with
multiple hobbies. Sewing, quilting, knitting, painting, cooking and
gardening were her main interests as she freely shared her giftings
with family and friends. She attended ladies' Bible study, became a
certified Master Gardener, was a docent at Linnaeus Garden, was a
Creek County 4-H judge, a knitting instructor and she kept the most
beautiful backyard in all of Sand Springs.
In March 2015, Sharon was diagnosed
with a GBM - an aggressive form of brain cancer. She underwent
surgery, as well as multiple forms of treatment. Throughout the
entire three-year process, she accepted the diagnosis as God's will
for her life. While difficult to understand His plan for her, she
continued to smile at the future as she beat all the statistical odds
of this terminal form of cancer. Although physical impairment
presented itself, her mind and memory continued to be as sharp as a
tack. Great thankfulness goes out to all who prayed and cared for
her, as we all had the opportunity to love on her far longer than
expected.
Sharon will be lovingly remembered by
her husband of 60 years, Darrel; daughter, Jolene Bender Wykes and
her husband Reed Wykes of Cypress, Texas; son, Kevin Bender and his
wife Marla Bender of Tulsa, Oklahoma; six grandchildren; and six,
with more on the way, great-grandchildren.
Proverbs 31:25 perfectly depicts the
life of Sharon - 'She is clothed in strength and dignity.'
A memorial service celebrating her life
will be held at 11 a.m. March 30, 2018 at Kirk of the Hills, 4102 E.
61st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The family would like to recognize the
outstanding service and loving support of Grace Hospice of Tulsa.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations
can be made to the following: The Musella Foundation
(virtualtrials.com/bender), which provides direct financial
assistance to GBM patients for expensive chemotherapy drugs, or Kirk
of the Hills Tuesday Women's Bible study.
Arrangements are entrusted to Schaudt's
Glenpool Funeral Service. Family and friends may send memories and
condolences to the family online at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com.
1938 - 2018 (79 years)