HELEN BENDURE

HELEN W. BENDURE Helen Lillian Webster Bendure, 94, died Dec. 20, 2012, at her home in Barstow, Calif. Helen Bendure was born on Aug. 18, 1918, in Hines, Wis., to Clarence Herrick Webster and Lillian Lantz (Granger) Webster. She graduated from Superior State college in Wisconsin in 1939, taught in rural schools in Wisconsin, worked for Howard Aircraft in the Chicago area and managed a craft shop in Oxford, Ohio. She was married to Herbert Glenn Bendure for 51 years from Jan. 17, 1948, until his death on Dec. 16, 1999. They moved to Barstow in 1956. She was a junior high school teacher in Barstow from 1963-1976; co-owned the Dabblers Den shop in the 1970s; wrote the "Helping Hands" column for the Desert Dispatch for two decades from 1989; organized and led Barstow's Peace and Justice Study Group from 1983-2001; and was an active volunteer for many years in the First Congregational Church of Barstow, Desert Manna, AFS, Mojave River Valley Museum and other organizations. The Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce named her "Woman of the Decade" in 1986. She is survived by a son, Bert Bendure of Barstow; daughters Barb Fisher and husband Bill of Reno, Nev., and Glenda Bendure and husband Ned Friary of Cape Cod, Mass.; grandson Bill Fisher and wife Heather and great-grandchildren Billy, Cody and Judy of Reno, Nev.; as well as stepgrandchildren. She was also the grandmother of Matt Fisher, who died in 2007. She was AFS host mother to Joe Suka of Micronesia and Giovanni Russo of Italy. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 5 at First United Methodist Church, 404 E. Mountain View, Barstow. Memorial gifts may be made to AFS-USA, Office of Development, 1 Whitehall St., Floor 2, New York, NY 10004; Desert Manna, 201 N. 1st Ave., Ste. B, Barstow, CA 92311 ... or volunteer somewhere!