Della Florine Mae Lyons Bender Barker

Della Florine Bender Barker, 90, died Friday, August 19, 2016, in Georgetown. She had been a Georgetown resident for 60 years. She was born on January 2, 1926, in Mendoza, Texas to Eddie and Lena Ewald and was a middle child of 11 children. Della was a member of the First Baptist Church in Georgetown. She loved to go to church, socialize with the people and most of all she loved the Lord. Before retirement, she worked for Southwestern University in Georgetown for 15 years. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother and loved spending time with her family. Her welcoming smile, hug, squeeze of the cheeks and kiss on the lips would leave no doubt that she truly and sincerely loved you. Della was a strong hard working woman, and showed it inside and outside of the home. She was honest, loving and committed to whatever it was she was doing. Those who knew her loved her and knew there was nothing she wouldn't do for them. Up to the day of her death you could hear folks muttering words such as feisty, tenacious, strong and fighter. Della had many hobbies and loved to work with her hands. She loved to spend her Saturdays shopping with the girls at garage sales and loved to redo furniture, from painting to reupholstering. She also loved antiques, especially clocks. While spending a night in her home you could hear the cuckoo or the click of the hands throughout the night. Della was always looking to create something new, rugs made of rags, flowers made of paper and clothes for the kids. She loved working in the yard and working with her plants, and it showed. The pride she showed in her home was apparent and even earned her "Yard of the Month" on a couple of occasions. She loved pets and had many cats, dogs and birds throughout her life. When she left to go into the nursing home she left a dog, Buddy and a cat, Pepper, behind. She never forgot about them and always wanted to know how they were doing. Della is survived by 3 children, Marie Puente of Georgetown, Nancy Becker of Liberty Hill and Larry Bender of Georgetown; two brothers, Otto Ewald of Niederwald and Preston Ewald of Colorado Springs, Colorado; grandchildren, Ken and Jessica Moore of Buda, Eddie and Lisa Nieto of Round Rock, Rebecca Moore of Cedar Park, Keith and Tracie Becker of Liberty Hill, Brian and Kellie Becker of Liberty Hill, John and Michelle Cearley of Liberty Hill; as well as 10 great grandchildren. Della was preceded in death by 2 children, Wayne Bender and Mary Ann Moore; her parents, Eddie and Lena Ewald; brothers, Robert, Walter, Drue and Bruno Ewald; sisters, Alma Sprouse, Amanda Vinson and Ida Petrosky; 3 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Della lived out her last 3 years of her life in Park Place Healthcare Nursing Home in Georgetown, Texas. A special thank you to those who knew her best and who cared for her in her final hours.