Joy Sue Bender

1935 - 2025

Joy Sue Bender passed away recently in the comfort of her home after a brief bout of pneumonia. She was 91.

Joy Sue was born December 2, 1934 on a Merkel, Texas, farm, the only child of Hall Harrison Hobbs and Hazel Verion Thomas Hobbs. She attended grade schools at Grand Prairie and then Arlington, Texas, where her father worked in defense plants during World War II. After the war, the family moved back to west Texas farm life. Due to her father's poor health, the family retired to a small farm at Rogers, Arkansas.



Joy Sue graduated from Rogers High School in 1953 and worked for Southwestern Bell as a phone operator. She met a friend's brother, Lloyd Dale Bender, home from the Navy to attend the University of Arkansas, and married him December 17, 1953. She worked for Southwestern Bell while Lloyd Dale attended the University Arkansas, Fayetteville. Steven Glenn was born at Rogers, Arkansas. A second son, Edwin, was born at Columbia, Missouri, while Lloyd completed a Ph.D. program. Lloyd returned to a professorial position at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville until 1966 while Joy Sue became a student and ran the household. Joy Sue remained a life-long Razorback fan.



Joy Sue moved with Lloyd again to Columbia, Missouri, where he was a staff at the Economic Development Division of the USDA. Eventually they were transferred to Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, where they remained for 35 years. At MSU, Joy Sue returned to her long-delayed studies in Business Education. As a "student older than average age" she enjoyed her associations with young students who looked up to her as their mother figure. Over the years, Joy Sue and Lloyd enjoyed dancing, playing golf, traveling and generally enjoying Montana's outdoors.



Joy Sue served as an administrative secretary in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the university for 12 years. After retiring in 1990, her hobbies were gardening, reading and traveling to their winter home at Tucson, along with community service with Bozeman Sourdough Lions Club, where she and Lloyd were charter members, and as a Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Volunteer and AARP chapter officer. The family attended Bozeman United Methodist Church for 35 years.



In April, 2007, Joy Sue and Lloyd moved to a new home in Helena, Montana to be near their sons. They became members of the Covenant United Methodist Church at Helena. The greatest joys in life for Joy Sue were her husband, sons, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was a dedicated mother, grandmother and wife, and was fortunate to be close to her children all of her life.



Joy Sue was preceded in death by husband Lloyd Dale Bender. Survivors are son Steven Glenn Bender (Cindy Smith Bender and Rose Clinch) of Helena; son Edwin Hall Bender and wife Joan Specking of Helena; granddaughter Amber Marie Bender Bolton and husband Jeff; grandson Chase Thomas Bender and Autumn Welch Garner Bender and her sons Justin and Lucas. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Wanette Bender Lehmann and husband Wayne of Bozeman, Montana, and Verena Rose Bender Hekman of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and numerous nieces and nephews. Sue's cousins in the Hobbs and Thomas families lived in Texas and Arkansas and are deceased.

Joy Sue's and Lloyd's final years were greatly enhanced by the compassion and daily care of Kim Trudgeon of Above and Beyond Home Health Care. After Lloyd's passing, Kim, her staff, and the capable staff at Headwaters Hospice helped Joy Sue and her family while away the days with confidence and in comfort.

Services will be held Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 11 AM at Covenant United Methodist Church Helena, MT. Please offer memorials in Joy Sue's name to Covenant United Methodist Church at Helena or the Montana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.