Mary Elizabeth Pender

April 15, 1929 - April 30, 2016

Mary E. Pender, 87, of Benton Harbor died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Royalton Manor in Royalton Township. Services celebrating her life will be held at 1 PM on Tuesday, May 3, at the Fairplain Chapel of Florin Funeral Service in Benton Harbor. Burial will be at North Shore Memory Gardens. The visitation will begin at Noon on Tuesday at the Fairplain Chapel. Memorials may be made to the Niles Ave Baptist Church. Please share memories, messages or photos at www.florin.net. Mary was born on Apr 15, 1929 in Hornersville, MO to Asa and May Pierce and was one of 13 children. She married her husband, J. C. Pender, and he preceded her in death in 1994. She worked as an inspector at VM Corporation for more than 30 years and then was in quality control at Benton Harbor Screw Co for 12 years before retiring in 1993. She was a volunteer at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center and also worked at the Area Agency on Aging. Mary was always helping others. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Mary loved her family, her friends and her God. She leaves behind her children, Deborah (Joel) Graziani of Estero, FL and Cary (Julie) Pender of St. Joseph; her grandchildren, Vanessa (Matt), Jordan, Jack, and Jonathan, and her great grandchildren, Lincoln, Charlotte, and Jasper. A special thank you to her caregiver and friend, Beverly Grau.