Mary Lou (Bunn) Bender, 85, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 13. A graveside service will be conducted Sunday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m. at Forest Hill Cemetery of Nashville by the Rev. Luke Whitehead.
Mary Lou was born Jan. 30, 1935, in Wilson County to the late Trollie and Mary Lemmons Lamm. Mary loved her family. She was a member and ordained deacon at Nashville Baptist Church. Later, she attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Norlina, where she was a member of the choir.
Mary was very active in North Carolina Extension Homemakers, North Carolina Farm Bureau Women and North Nashville Ruritan Club. She was also an avid sports fan.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by first husband, James F. Bunn; second husband, Walter J. Bender; a granddaughter, Summer Bunn; great-grandson, William Keck; and two brothers, Vernon and James Lamm.
She leaves to cherish her memory: two sons, Greg Bunn (Wanda) and Gary Bunn (Connie) of Nashville; daughter, JoEllen Ross (Joe Mitchell) of Nashville; granddaughters, Sara Griffin (Phillip) of Southern Shores, Emily Campbell (William) of Hutnersville, Mary Ellis (Sidney) of Youngsville, Maggie Keck (Steve) of Knightdale, Abigail Ross of Knightdale and Brittany Mitchell of Dublin, Va.; grandsons, Brandon Bunn (Jennifer) of Nashville and Hunter Mitchell of Eglin AFB, Fla.; great-grandchildren, Carter, Adaire, Luca, Cam, Hayden and Ellie; brother, John Lamm of Raleigh; sisters, Faye Murray of Winterville and Linda Edwards of Chesapeake, Va.; also surviving are stepchildren, Conrad Bender (Joan), Thomas Bender (Laura), Sam Bender (Lisa) and Jennifer Rothen (George).
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mary Lou’s name can be made to Nashville Baptist Church, 512 E. Washington St., Nashville, NC 27856 or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 114 Poplar Mount Rd., Norlina, NC 27563.
Arrangements are by Cornerstone Funeral Home of Nashville.
