Benda, Mary Jo (Bergsrud) 1939 - 2016

BENDA, BERGSRUD, YOUNG, SHEEHAN, KOESTER, HEADINGTON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/27/2016 at 12:34:26

Mary Jo Benda, age 77, of Decorah, Iowa, died on Sunday evening, May 22, 2016 at her home in Decorah.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 28, 2016 at Decorah Lutheran Church.

Visitation will be from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Friday, May 27 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, and on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m., one hour before the service, at Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. Dave Sorenson and Rev. Charis Combs-Lay officiating.

Mary Jo (Bergsrud) Benda was born on May 9, 1939 in Decorah, Iowa, the daughter of Herbert “Huns” and Julia (Young) Bergsrud, the first of two children. She attended Decorah schools and graduated from Decorah High School with the class of 1957.

On November 17, 1961 she was united in marriage to Donald Joseph Benda. They were the proud parents of four children: Kirk, born in 1962, Kim, born in 1964, Kallie, born in 1969 and Kolice, born in 1971. Don and Mary Jo enjoyed 54 years of marriage, making their home in Decorah. Together they enjoyed gardening, fishing, casinos and being with each other.

Mary Jo attended Luther College in 1958 and graduated from Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, MN in 1961 as a registered nurse. She started her career at the Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital in Decorah, and then she worked at Aase Haugen Home for twenty-five years. She worked her final 15 years as a registered nurse at Oneota Riverview Care Facility before retiring.

She enjoyed going to Curves, lunching with friends, reading, playing the piano and loved being in the kitchen.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Huns and Julia Bergsrud.

Mary Jo is survived by her husband, Don of Decorah; her four children: Kirk (Jane) of Woodstock, IL, Kim of Rochester, MN, Kallie (Mike) Sheehan of Wausau, WI and Kolice (Cory) Koester of West Des Moines, IA; eight grandchildren: Brandon (Kristi) Benda, Brennae Benda, Maggie Benda, Olivia, Emmy, Alexa and Ieden Sheehan and Adison Koester. Mary Jo also had great joy in meeting her great-granddaughter, Brynleigh Benda. She is also survived by her sister, Sharon (Curt) Headington of Mount Vernon, IA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Winneshiek Medical Center Same Day Services or to WMC Hospice, both at 901 Montgomery Street, Decorah, IA 52101.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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