Online Obituaries Tuesday, April 27, 2004 2004 obituaries    2003 obituaries 2002 obituaries    2001 obituaries 2000 obituaries    1999 obituaries The Journal Online   Experience New Ulm Click here for today's obituaries    Marla Bender , 36, of Virginia Beach, Va., passed away on April 22, 2004, at Chesapeake General Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer.    The family will receive relatives and friends at Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye on Thursday, April 29, from 6 to 8 p.m, and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.    Services will be held at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sleepy Eye at 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 30. Clergy will be Rev. Timothy Grams. Interment will be in Home Cemetery, Sleepy Eye.    Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. E-mail condolences may be sent at www.sturmfh.com.    Casketbearers are Kyle Bender, Verlyn Hahn, Jeff Rue, Dan Reddemann, and Darwin Johnson.    Marla was born November 24, 1967, in New Ulm, Minnesota to Charles and Delores (Reddemann) Menk. She grew up in Sleepy Eye and graduated with honors at Sleepy Eye Public High School in 1986. Marla attended Gustavus Adolphus College at St. Peter and earned an accounting degree in 1990. On October 26, 1991, she was united in marriage to Kevin Bender at Zion Lutheran Church at Morgan and moved to Virginia the following year. Marla and her family were residents of Virginia Beach, Virginia for the past 12 years. She was a certified public accountant with Cherry, Bakaert and Holland in Virginia Beach. Marla was an avid flutist throughout high school and college and continued to play at church services in Virginia Beach.    Marla is survived by her husband, Kevin and three children, Jonathan (11), Sarah (8), and Hannah (4); parents, Charles and Delores Menk of Sleepy Eye; brother, David Menk of Minneapolis; father and mother-in-law, Keith and Kay Bender of Rockaway Beach, MO; sisters and brother-in-law, Kelly and Verlyn Hahn of Sioux Falls, SD, Karen and Jeff Rue of Racine, WI, and Kyle Bender of Sioux Falls, SD; several nieces and nephews; and many more relatives and friends.    In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the donor's choice or to a trust fund for the Bender children. Trust fund address is Cherry, Bakaert and Holland, 222 Central Park Avenue, Suite 1400, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. Please reference Bender Children Trust.    Selmer 'Sam' Helgeson , 96, of Redwood Falls, died Sunday, April 25, 2004, at Sunwood Care Center in Redwood Falls    Services are 2 p.m., Friday, April 30, at St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church In Redwood Falls, with burial in Crestlawn Gardens, rural Redwood Falls.    Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Nelson-Martin Funeral Service in Redwood Falls and will continue at the church on Friday one hour prior to time of service.    Survivors include his wife Elda of Redwood Falls; daughters Verlaine Kolb of Wayzata and Shirley Strom of LaMirada, Calif.; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a sister Tena Helgeson of Delhi.    He was born Sept. 3,1907, in Belview to Peder and Annie (Nordeen) Helgeson.    Gesena 'Sene' Schaffran , 89 of Wabasso, died Saturday, April 24, 2004, in Patricia Court Elder Share in Marshall.    Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 28, in St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wabasso with burial in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Johnsonville Township.    Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Sunset Funeral Home in Wabasso and continue Wednesday one hour prior to services in St. Matthew's Lutheran Church. The Sunset Funeral and Cremation Association of Echo and Wabasso is handling the arrangements.    Gesena Anna Schaffran was born Wednesday, May 20, 1914 in Johnsonville Township, Redwood County, to John Henry and Louise (Weichers) Schmiesing.    She is survived by her children; Darlene Christensen of Kensington, Lester Schaffran of Coon Rapids, Dennis Schaffran of Loveland, Colo., and Joanne Valentin of Marshall; 12 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.    Jon T. Schwarz , 45, of Windermere, Fla., formerly of Sleepy Eye, died in an auto accident on Friday, April 16, 2004.    Services were held Friday, April 23, at Holy Family Catholic Church. Interment was in Woodlawn Memorial Park.    Woodlawn Funeral Home handled arrangements.    Jon is survived by his wife, Beverly A. Schwarz of Windermere; a son, Christopher J. Schwarz and daughter, Jenessa N. Schwarz, both of Windermere; parents, Thomas and Cecilia Schwarz of New Ulm; brothers, Patrick Schwarz of Redwood Falls, Donald Schwarz of Wabasso, Dennis Schwarz of Miami, Fla., Joel Schwarz of New Ulm, and Gerald Schwarz of Mankato; sisters, Virginia Kalin of Plymouth, Annette Broich of Plymouth, Mary Beth Johnson of Cottage Grove, and Yvonne Lager of Mankato.    Jon was born in Sleepy Eye to Thomas and Cecelia (Sellner) Schwarz.