The Funeral service for Cleo will be live streamed at the following You Tube Link: https://youtu.be/M9BjkSMr5Ms

Cleo Bender, 84 Harvey, ND went home to be with Jesus on Friday, April 15, 2022 at the St. Aloisius Hospital in Harvey, after struggling with multiple health issues.

The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Cornerstone Community Church, North Campus, Harvey, ND.

The visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m Friday April 22 Cornerstone Community Church, North Campus, Harvey, ND.

Burial will be in the Martin Baptist Cemetery.

Cleo Eileen Bender was born May 23 ^rd , 1937, in Harvey, North Dakota.  Cleo spent her childhood in Martin, North Dakota, where her parents Helmuth and Mary Eckart had a general store on main street.  Cleo was the youngest of six siblings, Fran, MaryAnn, Dorothy, Alice, and Richard.  She graduated from Martin High School in 1955. Cleo worked for JCPenney's in Harvey for a short time.  She then went to Minot State College for a summer school semester to receive training to become a teacher.  That fall she worked with her sister Fran Arusell, and she taught the lower grades in the Consolidated Cotton Woods school south of Fessenden, ND.  She later worked in a country schoolhouse south of Drake, ND where she taught all eight grades.

Cleo married Royce Bender on May 21, 1957, in the Martin Baptist Church. They moved to Royce's parents farm, (Edwin and Martha Bender) where they lived in their first home together.  Cleo enjoyed working with the milk cows, chickens, and the beef cattle.  It was there where Cleo began her journey toward excelling at her cooking and baking skills of which many people have benefitted over the years. Cleo and Royce adopted their son Brad in October of 1967 and later their daughter Pam in March of 1973.  During these years Cleo did double time raising a family, attending activities and still managing to be a farm wife working inside and outside of the house.  Cleo also enjoyed teaching Sunday School and helping with Vacation Bible School at Martin Baptist Church.

Life shifted for Cleo from the farm to the city, as Royce had some challenging health concerns.  In 1991 Cleo took the Adult Vocational Industrial Training and began to work for HAV-IT in Harvey.  This was a huge change for her, but she found her sweet spot working with mentally and physically challenged adults in various group home settings. Cleo loved what she did and gave her life for 27 years to HAV-IT and reluctantly retired at the age of 82 in 2019.  Even after retirement, Cleo would still connect with former co-workers and do volunteer work with her former clients.

Cleo's husband Royce passed away in January of 2011 and her daughter Pam passed away November of 2018.  Cleo spent many days coming and going to the Harvey Nursing home making sure Pam knew she was cared for.  Cleo was also concerned with all of Royce's health issues over the years and was with him when he passed away.

In the summer of 2018 Cleo moved into the assisted living apartments next to the Harvey Nursing home where many of the residents enjoyed her baking, cooking skills and kind heartedness.  Much of Cleo's life was spent loving kids by making them cookies, giving them treats or small gifts.  She enjoyed having the day care below her apartment so she could give out candy to the kids at Halloween and at Easter.

Cleo was a very giving and compassionate person.  She loved her church and her church family at the Martin Baptist Church and so many of you were on the receiving end of that giving spirit.

Cleo is survived by, her son Bradley Bender, his wife Rebecca Bender and their kids, Jonathan and Hannah Bender of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, her grandchildren, Kayellynn Bender of Harvey, ND, Michael Erickson of Sioux Falls, SD, Brianna Smoot of Sioux Falls, SD; Cleo's sister MaryAnn Michelson, and husband Bud. As well as sisters-in-law, Carol Hauser and husband Dave, and Alice Reichenberger.