Martha Bender, 92, of Nevada passed away Thursday, February 20, 2014 at Rolling Green Village in Nevada. Martha was born August 16, 1921, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Clarence and Eva Blake. She moved six times, before high school in Winterset and Tabor, where she met her "forever friend," Macky Burns, who remained her best friend for the last 78 years. Martha met the love of her life while attending college at Tabor Junior College and married Dean of October 3, 1943, while he was on leave for a weekend while serving in the US Army during World War II. Martha taught country school for six years, making $200 per month. In 1984, Martha retired from the Department of Transportation. Martha enjoyed family vacations, her children's activities and playing with her grandchildren. She was a voracious reader and loved writing down her family stories and histories. Martha's husband, Dean, passed away in November of 2012. Martha is survived by her four children: Nancy M. Bender, Daniel D. Bender (DeAnna), Marilyn A. Middleton (Rick), Timothy A. Bender (LeAnn Baehman); her grandchildren: Jeff Hawkins (Stacia), Nick Bender (Misty), Maggie Chadiha (Jeff); and four great-grandchildren: Addie, Anthony and Allison Hawkins, and Jayven Chadiha. Memorial services will be 2:00 PM Tuesday, February 25th, at the Bacon Funeral Home in Nevada. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Nevada Public Library.