Catherine L. Bendzick, age 97, of Jordan, MN, entered God’s arms, with her loving family surrounding her, on Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Oak Terrace Senior Living, in Jordan.
Born on a farm near Marystown, MN, on March 17, 1927, Catherine Loretta was the youngest of 10 children of Mathias and Margaret (Menden) Sand. Throughout childhood, she helped her parents by milking cows and doing other chores on the family farm. Catherine also learned the craft of cooking, baking, and canning from her mother and sisters. She attended St. Mary of the Purification Catholic School through the Eighth Grade.
As a teenager, Catherine loved to attend local dances with friends and her sisters, where in the Spring of 1943 she met the love of her life, Gerald “Jerry” Henry Bendzick. They courted while Jerry served in the Army, where he was stationed in Tokyo, Japan for several years. Catherine thought the day would never come that he would be discharged, but soon after he came home to her, Catherine and Jerry married on October 28, 1947. They settled on a farm north of Jordan adjacent to the Bendzick family farm where they raised six children, Dave, Gary, Paul, Pete, Pat, and Mary. However, they felt the sadness of losing their infant son John.
In 1976, Catherine and Jerry sold the farm and built a house on 10 acres of the farm property, where they lived until moving into Jordan and taking over Henry Bendzick’s bait business. In 1987, Catherine and Jerry fulfilled their lifelong dream of living on the lake and moved to Lake Volney near Le Center, MN where they enjoyed fishing, and became active with the Le Center community and church. After many years enjoying lake life, the two moved to the Plaza in Le Center, where Catherine and Jerry were the caretakers, before moving back to Jordan to Oak Terrace Assisted Living in 2011.
For Catherine, the best times were spent with family and friends playing countless games of Poker, Euchre, Phase 10, and shaking dice, especially with the “Card Group”, and she was never easy on you. The “Steak Fry” nights at the American Legion in Le Center were enjoyed monthly with family and friends. Catherine was an excellent cook and baker, and there was nothing better than the smell of her freshly baked bread, pies, cookies, and cinnamon rolls when you walked in the door. She was also famous for her canned dill pickles, pears, and cherries. Catherine enjoyed gardening, flowers, fishing, playing bingo, putting puzzles together, watching “Wheel of Fortune”, and doing word finds.
Faith being one of the most important things in Catherine’s life, she always put others before herself. She attended Sunday mass, volunteered for the funeral lunch committee and church thrift store, delivered communion to the sick and elderly, and was known as the “Prayer Warrior” to family, friends, and residents at Oak Terrace. If someone needed prayers, it was Catherine they went to, and she would immediately begin to pray her rosary. She also assisted with weekly communion services at Oak Terrace. Even in Catherine’s final days, her lips were praying the words of the rosary as her loved ones surrounded her in prayer.
Forever loved, Catherine will be missed by her children, Dave (Norma) Bendzick, Gary (Lane) Bendzick, Pete (Cathy) Bendzick, Pat Bendzick, Mary (Paul) Johnson; grandchildren, Tim (Susie) Bendzick, Jennifer Johnson, Andrew Bendzick, Kate Bendzick, Molly Bendzick, Natalie (Jordan) O’Hotto, Dan Bendzick, , Matt (Samantha) Bendzick, Alex (Cortnie) Bendzick, Jeremy Johnson, Jacob (Rebecca) Johnson; 13 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.
Greeted in eternal peace is her loving husband, Jerry; infant son, John; son, Paul; parents; siblings, Marie (Alphons) Stocker, Herb (Lucille) Sand, Clara (Louis) Engel, Theresa (Howard) Heller, Jerome (Bernice) Sand, Caroline (Clarence) Lenzmeier, Alvin Sand, Rita (Earl) Peters, and Joseph (Grace) Sand.
A special thank you to Oak Terrace Senior Living and St. Croix Hospice for their excellent care, love, support, and kindness shown to Catherine and the Bendzick family. Thank you also to Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation who proudly served and cared for the Bendzick family.
A time of gathering will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 4-7 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 104 West First Street, Jordan, with an additional gathering on Friday, July 12, 2024, from 10-10:45 am, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 313 East Second Street, Jordan. Guests may join via livestreaming at https://sjbjordan.org . Father Neil Bakker will preside. Catherine will be laid to rest at St. John Calvary Cemetery. The urn bearers will be her children, Pete, Pat and Mary.
