Obituary of Joy Levien

Joy Levien, age 88, formerly of 436 3rd. Avenue, Iowa City died Sunday, February 26, 2006, at Legacy Point in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 2, 2006, at the Coralville United Methodist Church with the Reverend Doug Williams officiating. Burial will be at the Sharon Hill Cemetery in Kalona. Visitation will be from 4 to 7pm Wednesday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, where a prayer service will take place at 6pm. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in Joy’s memory to Iowa City Domestic Violence Organization or to the Coralville United Methodist Church in care of the Memory Garden Project. Online condolences may be sent for Joy’s family through our website @www.gayandciha.com. Joy was born February 26, 1918, in rural Johnson County, Iowa the daughter of Levi Daniel and Mary Magdalene (Beechy) Miller. She was married to Edwin Bender until his death in 1958. On October 1, 1966, she married Wesley P. Levien in Kirksville, Missouri. For a number of years she worked in the housekeeping department of the University Of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She was an active member of the Coralville United Methodist Church, known to many as the church historian; involved with the Iowa City Domestic Violence Organization, enjoyed traveling and being a member of the JC’s camping group. Her family includes her children, Karen Bender of Iowa City; Kurby Bender and his wife, Sandy of Sedalia, CO; and Terry Bender and his wife, Julie of Westminster, CO; grandchildren, Michael Bender, Alexander Bender, Ashley Bender, Adam Bender, and John Schlote; great-granddaughter, Crystal Schlote; sister, Magdalene Stutzman of Parker, CO; Wesley’s children, Allan Levien and his wife, Bonnie of Ely, Cindy Onnen and her husband, Don of Iowa City, and Cathy Orouke and her husband, Mick of Swisher. Joy was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, an infant son, Jimmy Lee; brothers, Nelson, Vernon, and Chester Miller and her sister, Niva Burkholder. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Joy’s family and her services.