Brender, June E.

June E. Brender, 88, of Iowa City, died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Mercy Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City, with burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service.

June Elizabeth Larsen was born June 17, 1924, in Waterloo, Iowa, the daughter of Carl and Emma (Manske) Larsen. At the age of 1, she and her family moved to Iowa City, where she grew up, graduating from City High School in 1943. On Dec. 6, 1943, she was united in marriage to Harold J. Brender at St. Paul Lutheran Church, where she and her family had been longtime members. With her marriage to Harold she went from a city girl to a country girl simply by saying I Do! The farm never left her though the family left the farm. They lived in California for a short time before returning to Iowa City, where they settled and raised their family. For nearly six years she worked for Northwestern Bell as an operator, and then for over 21 years in information services for the University of Iowa. Harold's work with Viggo Jensen Construction Co. kept him busy, and June loved being able to care for her family, their home and took great pride in doing so. There was nothing in this world more important than her family, and they knew it.

She and Harold were charter members of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. June appreciated all the church has been to her and her family throughout the years, and the many friendships that came through the church. She was involved with Visiting Nurses Association; she enjoyed interior design not only in her own home (rearranging her home every six weeks) but for others that would seek her advice, and those that knew her well, knew she lived to “treasure shop.”

June's family includes her children, Danny Brender and his wife, Tamie, of Joplin, Mo., David Brender and his wife, Marilyn, of Milwaukee, Wis., Barb Brender of Iowa City, Tim Brender and his wife, Kristilyn, of Madison, Wis.; grandchildren, Jonathan Brender (fiancee Jennifer) of Palmer, Alaska, Nathan Brender (Darby) of Kansas City, Kan., Nicole Brender of Madison, Wis., Jacob Brender of Madison, Wis., Shannon Merkel of Eudora, Kan., Nicole Burgforf (Taf) of New York, N.Y., and Allison Rogers (Sam) of Carthage, Mo.; great-grandchildren, Logan, Jerzy, Dossi, William and several others; and her sister-in-law, Patricia Johnson of Iowa City.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold; and her sister, Wilma Scarpellino.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in June's memory to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Online condolences may be sent for her family through the Web at www.gayandciha.com.

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for June's family and her services.

Published Aug. 23, 2012 in The Gazette