Margaret June Bender

Margaret June Bender, age 90, of Centennial, Colorado passed away on December 7, 2021. She was born to Harriet and Samuel Priebe in Peoria, Illinois on December 5, 1931. Margaret was baptized on April 18, 1943 and confirmed on April 10, 1949. She was married to Harold James Bender on May 31, 1952.

Margaret graduated from South High School in Denver, Colorado in 1949. She later received her nursing degree from Saint Luke’s School of Nursing Class of 1952. Margaret’s favorite part of nursing was her training in the neonatal unit at Saint Luke’s working with newborn babies. After working for a few years in nursing, she took a short hiatus to raise her young family. In the early 1960s, Margaret ran two different motels—Valeda Village Motel in Longmont, Colorado and Beacon Hill Motel in Grand Lake, Colorado. In the late 1960s, she assisted with her husband’s at-home CPA firm. She then got back into her nursing career and worked at various nursing homes around the Denver metropolitan area. After a career as a Registered Nurse, Margaret retired as the Director of Nursing at Julia Temple Center in Englewood, Colorado in 1993.

Margaret is survived by her children Susan Kalmbach, Joyce Hulslander, Harold Bender, Jr. (JoLynn) and Jennifer (Rodney) Sweeney; grandchildren Courtney (Deacon) Maloney, Christopher (Katelynn) Kalmbach, Caylie Kalmbach, Heather (Christopher) Wiethoff, Bradford (Ximena) Hulslander, Jeffrey Hulslander, Douglas (Michelle) Bender, Kevin (Mollie) Bender, Patrick (Lindsey) Bender, Kellie Bender, Joseph (Alyssa) Bender, Jessica Sweeney, and Rachel Sweeney; great-grandchildren Maisy Maloney, Eliza Maloney, Emily Balkema, Paige Wiethoff, Wesley Wiethoff, Piper Wiethoff, Wade Wiethoff, Elinor Bender, Owen Bender, Isla Bender and Lily Bender; great-great-grandchild Noah Balkema; sister-in-law Susan Priebe; and nieces Kirsten Priebe and Sabrina Priebe. She was preceded in death by her mother Harriet Priebe, her husband Harold Bender, Sr., her father Samuel Priebe, her brother Samuel Priebe, and her son-in-law Kenneth Hulslander.

Margaret enjoyed participating in Bible study groups, senior’s group events at church, vacationing and spending time with her family, watching her great-grandchildren play, Denver Broncos football games, playing solitaire on her computer, and playing card games with her family and friends. When Margaret was a young teenage girl, she was assigned a pen pal in school. She was matched with another teenage girl from Finland named Doris. They wrote letters, often exchanging gifts at Christmas time, for over 70+ years!

Visitation will be held on Monday, December 20th from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Olinger Funeral, Cremation, & Cemetery – Chapel Hill, 6601 South Colorado Boulevard, Centennial, Colorado 80121. The memorial service will be held on Tuesday, December 21st at 12:00 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7691 South University Boulevard, Centennial, Colorado 80122. Interment at Chapel Hill immediately following the ceremony. Lunch reception to follow interment at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church or Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.