Jacob M. Bender 1924-2008

SCHNABEL, BENDER, KIRCHGESLER, BURKE, MCCARTHY, KOPPES, FURY, OPP

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 4/6/2008 at 20:37:40

Jacob M. Bender

Jacob M. "Jake" Bender, 83, of 896 Barbara Lee Drive, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz., due to complications from a fall.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Chapel, Mausoleum, Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Iowa. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, at Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road, where there will be a parish scripture wake service at 8 p.m., and the rosary will be recited at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, by the Knights of Columbus Council 10069.

He was born on April 16, 1924, in Ashley, N.D., son of Martin and Fredericka (Schnabel) Bender. He married Veronica "Ronnie" Kirchgesler on Oct. 26, 1947.

Jake worked in the grocery business for 40 years, starting out with National Tea Food Stores in Aberdeen, Mobridge and Sioux Falls, S.D. He moved to Dubuque in 1963 and managed Randall Foods until retiring in 1986.

He served on the board of directors of Albrecht Acres for many years and was inducted into Albrecht Acres Hall of Fame. Jake was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 10069 and a former member of the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce. He had been a member of St. Joseph The Worker Parish since 1963, where he served as a minister of hospitality.

Jake enjoyed fishing and boating on the Mississippi River and traveling. He took great pride in organizing and implementing family vacations with all his children and grandchildren.

Surviving are his wife, Veronica "Ronnie," of Dubuque; his children, Linda (Bob) Burke, of Fort Collins, Colo., Judy (Dennis) McCarthy, of Davenport, Iowa, Shirley (Craig) Koppes and Mary (Rick) Fury, both of Dubuque, Randy (Marta) Bender, of Bellevue, Iowa, and Marty Bender, of Austin, Texas; 14 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; his brother, Ruben Bender, of Aberdeen, S.D.; and his sister, Larue (Ivan) Opp, of Aberdeen.

He was preceded in death by seven siblings; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Copyright (c) Woodward Communications, Inc. 2008, All Rights Reserved. Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Thursday, February 21, 2008