June Bender, 87, of Bemidi, MN died Thursday, February 11, 2021 at her home surrounded by her loving family.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
June Lillian Fuller was born June 26, 1933 in St. Paul, MN to Willard & Lillian Fuller. She grew up in in St. Paul and graduated Valedictorian from Wilson High School in 1951. June went on to attend Hamline University, University of Minnesota, and Bemidji State University, ultimately earning her Masters in Counseling and Guidance. June also pursued doctoral studies at the University of North Dakota.
She married John W. (Bill) Bender on March 19, 1955 in St. Paul, and they made their permanent home in Bemidji. In 1961, Bill and June bought the local Culligan Soft Water franchise, which Bill operated until his death in 1994. After receiving her masters degree in 1979, June was employed at the Bemidji State University Student Placement Office as Assistant Placement Director and then Placement Director where she spent 15 years, retiring in April 1994. June then went on to manage Culligan after Bill’s death until her second retirement in 2007.
June was a member of First Lutheran Church of Bemidji and was active in the prayer chain. She also taught Sunday school, was church librarian, and more recently worked with the Befriender program. June was a past President of the Mrs. Jaycees and co-chaired the Bemidji Water Carnival with Bill. June’s lifelong love of singing included the First Lutheran Choir and Sweet Adelines Chorus.
June enjoyed traveling with her husband and family, with trips to Lake Tahoe, Washington DC, Coastal California, and Disney World with her grandsons. She enjoyed baseball, walking from her childhood home to see the Saint Paul Saints, to waving a Homer Hanky in the Metrodome as the Twins won the World Series. Most recently, June enjoyed spending time at home with her family, and on the phone with her sisters, nieces and nephews and friends.
She is survived by her sons, John, Bill, Tom, Tim (Lisa) and Jeffrey; grandsons, Nick (Kayla) and Josh Bender; great grandchildren, Harper & Jack Bender; and sister Patricia Arent; sisters-in-law, Patricia Beaumont, Marguerite Kause and Cynthia White. June is preceded in death by her husband and parents; great grandchild, Asher; siblings, Dorothy Huestis, Harriet Hall, Jean Newell, Kay Hatfield, Marolyn Formo, John Fuller, Charles Fuller and Richard Fuller.