Anna Josephine (Imler) Bender

Mrs. Anna Josephine  Bender, 93, of Romney, WV , formerly of Osterburg, passed away at 3:40 AM, Sunday, January 25th, 2015 at Dawn View Nursing Center, Fort Ashby, WV.

Mrs. Bender was born in Lock Haven on Wednesday, February 2, 1921,  the daughter of the late Harry E. and Edith C. (Kraemer) Imler.

On August 16, 1940, she married Blair F. Bender.  He preceded her in death on December 1, 1958.

She is survived by  Daughter- Susan E. wife of  James Alkire, Romney, WV; Sister- Catherine Bowser, Bedford. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Christina, married to Jason Borg, Mike J. Alkire, Julia E. married to Tony Thom, Dr. Rebecca Alkire & Daniel J. Alkire married to Sadie, and five great grandchildren, Connor, Scarlett, Erik, Anthony & Lennox.  She was preceded in death by her son, Thomas and her foster sister, June E. (Geddis) Deeb,

Anna Jo was a member of the Trinity Reformed Church in Osterburg and attended the Romney First United Methodist Church in West Virginia.  She was a 1938 graduate of E. St. Clair High School and a 1966 graduate of Altoona Vocational School.

Josephine was employed as an LPN at Memorial Hospital of Bedford County for 20 years.  She was a former tour guide at Old Bedford Village and teacher's aide at Chestnut Ridge Middle School.  Since moving to West Virginia to be close to daughter, she began volunteering at the Romney Food Bank and the Hampshire Public Library.  Whether you knew her as Anna, Anna Jo, Josephine or simply called her Mom, Grandma or friend, you knew you were lucky to have known this lovely, kind and generous woman.  She will be missed.

A Funeral Service will be held at the Trinity Reformed Church on January 29, 2014 at 11:00 AM with Rev. Paul Claycomb officiating.

Interment will be held at the Osterburg Community Cemetery,

Friends are invited to call on Wednesday from 2-4 & 6-8 PM at the Jack H. Geisel Funeral Home, 4340 Quaker Valley Road, Alum Bank, PA 15521 and on Thursday from 10:30- 11:00 AM at the church.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Romney Food Bank, c/o Romney First United Methodist Church, 49 North High Street, Romney, WV 26757 or to the Trinity Reformed Church, 204 Bowser Rd, Osterburg, PA, 16667.

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