Ruth Isley Bender, age 88, of Shelby, passed away Friday, September 18, 2020 at the Oceana County Medical Care Facility in Hart where she had been a resident the past several years.

Ruth was born November 23, 1931 in Ferry Township to Walter and Iva (Shaw) Burmeister.

She married Harold Isley on December 18, 1948.  He passed away in 1986.  She married Robert Bender on August 18, 1997.  He also preceded her in death in 2007.

Ruth had been employed at Pentwater Wire Company.  She had attended Shelby United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her children, Judy LaVasseur, Peggy (Doug) Grau, Sandra Garner, Harold (Diane) Isley, Gloria Parmer, George (Lorrie) Isley, JoAnn (Robert) VanVleet and Daniel (Joyce) Isley; stepchildren, Trish (Joe) Varney, Denise (Les) Stone and Nancy Falkner; forty grandchildren; eighty-six great-grandchildren; and thirteen great-great-grandchildren.  Besides her husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Nancy Firovich; brothers, Archie, Lester, Roy and Orie Burmeister; and her sisters, Esther Cater and Louise Beaune.

A graveside service will be held Saturday, September 26th, 11 am at Mount Hope Cemetery in Shelby.  Please consider memorial gifts to the Alzheimers Association, 564 S. Main Street, Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI  48104.