Bortell, Mary E. 1931-2002

BORTELL, LENDER, MARTIN, DUNCAN, STAGGS, FORBES, MITCHELL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 6/13/2021 at 16:08:44

The Grinnell (Iowa) Herald-Register
Feb. 25, 2002

MARY BORTELL

Mary E. Bortell, 70, of Grinnell died of cancer Thursday, Feb. 21, at her home.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at the Smith Funeral Home, with the Rev. David G. Rogula, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, officiating. Pianist will be Barbara Chitwood.

Casket bearers will be Laurel Ely, Phil Gross, Wayne Gropper, Randy Juhl, Tim Schultz and Mark Stubbs. Honorary bearers will be her grandchildren, Robbie Lender, Danielle Anderson, Jamie Lender, Eric Sylvester, Michael Ryan and Dalton Lender. Burial will be at Hazelwood Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home beginning Monday. The family will be present from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday.

She was born Sept. 23, 1931, near Montezuma to Christopher and Dorothy Martin Lender. She was raised on the family farm and graduated from Montezuma High School. In the 1950s she moved to Grinnell and worked as a press operator for Holland Plastics Co. in Grinnell and Gilman. Prior to her death, she was employed as a seamstress at DeLong Sportswear. She was a member of the Grinnell Eagles Auxiliary.

Surviving are four sons, Bob of Brooklyn, Phil of Perry, Don of Grinnell and Jeff of Kellogg; three sisters, Opal Duncan of Grinnell, Eloise Staggs of Yakima, Wash., and Minnie Forbes of St. Joseph, Mo.; seen grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one brother, Martin Lender; one sister, Melissa Mitchell; and one grandson.