Isobel Victoria Benda

Isobel Victoria Benda passed away December 23, 2010, in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 am, on Thursday, December 30, 2010 at Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel with Pastor Jon Pomeroy, Sandpoint Church of God, officiating. Interment will be in Pinecrest Memorial Park. She was born October 27, 1922, in Glendive, MT to Oscar and Alice (LeBlanc) Stubberud. The family moved to Ponderay in 1938. She graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1939 at the age of 16. Isobel married Russell Benda on August 31, 1941. They moved to National, WA and lived there until 1944 when Russell went into the Army during World War II. After he returned they again lived in Western Washington until moving to Coeur d’Alene in 1949. In 1952, the family returned to the Sandpoint area living in Kootenai five years and in Ponderay the last 53. Isobel was a stay at home mom raising five children. She was an excellent cook and seamstress and had a large garden for many years. In 1950, ’60, and ’70 she was a census taker and became a postmaster in Ponderay in 1973, retiring in 1988. Isobel was an avid reader and her passion in life was her family. She was a 50-year member of the Ponderay Birthday Club. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 55 years, daughter Linda Litchfield, sisters Francis Domitrovich and Helen Fischer, and brother Oscar “Bud” Stubberud. She is survived by her daughters Patricia (Arlo) Clayburn, Sandpoint; Norma Benda, Kootenai; Janice (Doug) Mueller, Ponderay; and son Bruce (Donna) Benda, Libby, MT; brother Allan (May) Stubberud, Irving, CA; ten grandchildren Doug (Denise) Davis, Mike Benda, Suzanne (Dennis) Huberty, Rob Benda, Carrie (Phil) Cant, Lisa (Joe) Glarborg, Jennifer (Josh) Shackelford, Gina Mueller, Stacey (Jesse) Darley, and Allison Mueller; six great grandchildren Kellen and Nathan Davis, Avery and Jax Glaborg, Evan and Amya Darley; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family suggests memorials may be made to Kinderhaven PO Box 2097, Sandpoint, ID 83864, or the Panhandle Animal Shelter 870 Kootenai Cutoff Road, Ponderay, ID 83852.