Wallace “Wally” N. Bender, our dear father and friend, 91 years young, of Lincoln, passed away December 25, 2017. He was born January 18, 1926 in Sutton, Nebraska and graduated from Sutton High School (1943) and the University of Nebraska Lincoln (1951). He served his country during WWII with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. He met Marian, his wife and partner of 69 years, when they were both students at U of N, in front of Love Library. They settled and raised sons Doug and Greg in Sutton.
Wally worked for 30+ years in the farm equipment business in partnership with his brothers Paul and Fritz at their grandfather’s business Jacob Bender & Son. He was considered the best John Deere diesel mechanic in a 4 county area. As a man who truly worked hard for his hometown, he also served several terms as City Clerk in Sutton and as a firefighter with the Volunteer Fire Department.
He was very much involved in the youth of Sutton. Among many things, he served as Scoutmaster for Troop 164 while his sons grew up and stayed involved in Scouting long after that. His involvement was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America in 1968 with the Silver Beaver award.
Wally was a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, American Legion Post #61, Lincoln Amateur Radio Club, and W.S.I. His friends at Eastmont Towers in Lincoln, where he and Marian resided since 2013, are too numerous to mention.
Preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sister Gretchen Trabert.
A memorial service will be held at Roper and Son’s Funeral Home on January 9, 2018 at 1 pm.
Memorials to the Bender Family Charities c/o Roper’s Funeral Home.