Obituary of Rita May Bendzus

She was born in the Town of North Dansville on Sept. 1, 1923, a daughter of the late John and Gretchen (Grimm) Werth. On December 20, 1945, she was married to John J. Bendzus who predeceased her on October 26, 2007. She was also predeceased by a son John Bendzus Jr., and a great-granddaughter Kayonna Bendzus. Rita was a communicant of the Holy Family Catholic Community at St. Mary's Church in Dansville. She was a member of the Daniel Goho Post # 87 Ladies Auxiliary. She was a therapy aid at the Craig Developmental Center in Sonyea, and the bookkeeper for the former AGWAY farm supply in Dansville. Rita and her husband John owned and operated Bendzus Nurseries in Sparta for many years. In her free time she enjoyed gardening, crocheting, embroidery, crafts and interior decorating. She is survived by two daughters, Margaret (Karl) Lennox of Sparta and Lorraine (Robert) MacWhorter of FL; three sons: Michael (Wilma) Bendzus of VA, Gregory (Cindy) Bendzus of Sparta and James Bendzus of South Dansville; a daughter-in-law, Jean Bendzus of Sparta; a sister Iva Mease of Ossian and a brother Roy (Patricia) Werth of Dansville, 19 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Friends may call Sunday from 7-9pm and Monday from 2-4 and 7-9pm at the Hindle Funeral Home, 271 Main St., and Dansville, where services will be held on Tuesday at 11:00am with the Rev. David Hotchkiss officiating. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Dansville. Online remembrances may be left at HindleFuneralHome.com In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Livingston County Hospice, 2 County Campus, Mt. Morris, NY 14510 or St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.