Person Page 4,987

The Salina Journal, Salina, Kansas; Monday, 11 Nov 1996; Page 7; (Newspapers.com):

Sherry Moubry

DOWNS -- Sherry Moubry, 52, Downs, died Saturday, November 9, 1996, at Mitchell County Hospital, Beloit.

She was born Sherry Noeller on July 8, 1944, in Eugene, Ore., and lived in Kansas since 1971 moving from Iowa. She was a member of Downs Christian Church and a business partner in North Central Air, Downs.

Survivors include her husband, Rex of Downs; a daughter, Lisa Boden of Osborne; a brother, Tommy Bowler of Hays; a sister, Kathy Miller of Downs; and five grandchildren.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Downs Christian Church, Pastor Daryl Lane officiating. Burial will be in Downs Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the National Diabetes Foundation.

Visitation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today at Domoney Funeral Home, 817 Mogan, Downs 67437.

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Sunday, 09 AUG 1970; p.48; (Newspapers.com):

ROWLEY -- A Nov. 7 wedding is planned by Miss Donna Mae Johnson and Max E. Betenbender. Parents of the engaged couple are Mr. and Mrs. John C. Johnson of Rowley and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Betenbender of Coggon. Miss Johnson is employed by Collins Radio Co., and her fiancé is self-employed and farms.

[:CR]Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):

Max Betenbender, 73, of Coggon, Iowa, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, September 20, 2019, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, Hiawatha, Iowa.

Family will greet friends from 4 – 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 25, 2019, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion, Iowa. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 26, 2019, at the funeral home, officiated by Pastor Nathan Eddy, with visitation one hour prior to service. Burial will follow at Coggon Cemetery, Coggon, Iowa.

Max was born May 31, 1946, in Manchester, Iowa, to Glen “Pete” and Blanche (Bliss) Betenbender. He graduated from Coggon High School.

Max served honorably in United States Army during the Vietnam War, from 1965 to 1967.

He was united in marriage to Donna Johnson on November 7, 1970, in Independence, Iowa, at Hope Wesleyan Church.

Max was the president of Betenbender Manufacturing.

He was a member of the Coggon American Legion Post #362 and the Antique Car Club. Max collected army vehicles, including two army tanks.

He loved traveling.

Max was a friend to all, always willing to help. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Max is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife of 48 years, Donna Betenbender; daughter, Teresa Betenbender; two grandchildren, Courtney (David) Blaber and Cameron Klouda; three great-grandchildren, Isabella, Gabriella and Stephen Blaber; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Ted Betenbender; brother, Larry Betenbender; and baby Blaber.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Max’s memory may be directed to the family to be designated later.

Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service - Marion.

Vietnam War service, U.S. Army

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Wednesday, 27 OCT 1965; p.45; (Newspapers.com):

Armed Forces

Thirty Linn county draft registrants were inducted into the armed forces last week at Fort Des Moines to fill the county's October draft call. .........................

[Included Max E. Betenbender, Coggon].

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Wednesday, 03 JUN 1987; pp.18-21; (Newspapers.com):

Betenbenders Travel in Force

Max and Donna Betenbender of Coggon have no intentions of waiting until retirement to travel.

Since 1981, they have been in Berlin and Vienna, and -- along with their two children -- in Seoul, South Korea; Bristol, England; Florida; and New Zealand.

"A lot of people put off things to do when they retire. Then something happens, either financially or medically, and they can't do them. Then they don't have those memories," explains Max, who was born and Reared in Coggon.

Recently, Max, general manager of Betenbender manufacturing, suffered an on-the-job injury from which he has a 50-50 chance of recovering. He says if things had "not been favorable for us," they still would have had the memory of last summer's three-week vacation with their children. "How many people can say they spent three weeks with their kids?"

Yet, Donna, 38, says she doubts they would have done any traveling on their own. Explains her husband: "We don't like tours, visiting this place one day and that place the next."

They have done their world traveling through Friendship Force, an international organization that promotes world peace through understanding of other countries and their customs. Max calls it "a people-to-people exchange."

Max and his family heard about the organization through one of his employees, whose sister was involved in the Dubuque chapter.

Max's parents, Pete and Blanch, went to Guatemala in 1980 with the Dubuque group. "Because my folks had a very good experience, it took a lot of anxiety out of going (for us)," says Max.

Friendship Force travelers usually schedule two weeks in a country. The first week is spent with a host family. The second week also may be spent with the same family, or people may travel on their own or with other members of Friendship Force. Travelers also have the option of returning home.

During the Betenbenders' second week in Austria, their host family suggested they hire a taxi driver who knew a lot about the country. The daughter of the family, who had studied English for seven years, accompanied the group as interpreter.

"We took off and drove 800 miles in eight days," said max. The trip was mostly confined to back roads or side roads in Austria that looked promising for scenery. "We made decisions as we went," he continues.

When they stopped for the night, "our driver would go in and bargain for rooms for us," says max. "A couple of times, we went in and they said they would have charged more money if they had known we were Americans."

The trip cost each of the nine members of the group $110, plus their rooms and what they ate.

Max and Donna say that when they compared visits on the return trip to America, other Friendship Force people were envious of how they'd spent heir time -- including those who took organized tours.

But the impromptu trip around Austria isn't the only benefit the Betenbenders have seen from their Friendship Force association. "We've met some very nice people, says Donna, noting that they write to most of them.

The Betenbenders recall one friendship that had a rocky start.

The family they visited in Berlin had a teen-age daughter who seemed anti-American. "She didn't say 10 words to us," recalls Max. "She didn't want anything to do with us. She acted like we were imposing on her parents.

When Friendship Force had an exchange with Des Moines, the Berlin family spent a week there. When they arrived in Coggon for the second week of their visit, "it wasn't the same girl," continues Max. The teen-ager had undergone a complete change in her attitude. She had hugs and kisses for everyone.

Because of her positive experience in America, she returned home and talked with her friends who were anti-American, she could tell them, "We've got nice friend there who've given us a nice time," says Max.

The Betenbenders also were hosts to their English family on a tour of New England. "I wish more would come this way," says Donna wistfully.

In addition to their Friendship Force activities, the Betenbenders also provide a "getaway" retreat for a couple from Taiwan and have been hosts to a Swedish exchange student, Stefan Bjurnemark of Eslov, since August.

Donna and Max have been members of the Cedar Rapids Friendship Force since it started, although they've taken trips with the groups from Dubuque, Davenport and Portland, Ore. Max says the organization prefers to keep its groups to around 40. "If you don't go with one group, you can go with another."

When the Betenbenders go, they don't go empty handed. They fill one suitcase with handmade Iowa crafts, cookbooks (and the appropriate non-metric measuring utensils), wood items made by Max's father and toy tractors.

Max grins as he recalls his Korean host and his host's friend, both gentlemen in their 40s, rolling toy tractors back and forth to each other like enthusiastic children.

Because so many of their experiences with the group have been positive, Donna and Max would like to become more involved in the Cedar Rapids group. However, living 30 mils away limits that involvement.

"We'll try to do what we can to promote Friendship Force," says max, adding that even though he's been on five trips, "I'm ready to go again."

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Sunday, 29 OCT 1995; p.101; (Newspapers.com):

Betenbender

COGGON -- Max and Donna Betenbender, Coggon, will observe their 25th wedding anniversary next Sunday with a reception and dance from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Camp Wapsi Y, Coggon. The couple were married Nov. 7, 1970.

The former Donna Johnson and Max Betenbender exchanged vows at Hope Wesleyan Church, Independence.

They have two children: Ted Betenbender and Teresa (sic) Klouda, both of Coggon; and a grandchild, Courtney Klouda.

All family and friends are welcome to share this celebration. No gifts, please.

Obituary -- The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Saturday, 17 July 1999; Page 10; (Newspapers.com):

Ted L. Betenbender, 26, died Friday, July 16, 1999, in University Hospitals, Iowa City, after a long battle with cancer. Services: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Camp Wapsi Y, near Coggon. The Revs. Judy Gingerich, Frank Feltis, and Darrin Whiting will officiate. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday at Murdoch Funeral Home, Central City. Inurement will be at a later date in Coggon Cemetery.

He was born Oct. 9., 1972, the son of Max and Donna Betenbender of Coggon. Ted grew up in the Coggon area and graduated from North Linn High School in 1991. He attended Kirkwood Community College and was employed by Betenbender Manufacturing, a family-owned business in Coggon. Ted's interests were many and varied, but his real love was his motorcycles and cars. He was surrounded by his many loving and dedicated friends.

Ted is survived by his parents, Max and Donna Betenbender, a sister, Teresa Klouda and husband Dennis, a niece, Courtney; a nephew, Cameron, and grandparents Pete and Blanche Betenbender, all of Coggon; grandmother, Verna Johnson of Independence; and many other relatives and friends.

We will miss you and remember you always.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Cal Johnson.

Instead of flowers, the family has established a memorial fund for Pappajohn Pavilion 3 West at University Hospitals, Iowa City.