Patty Nell Bends, age 96, of Georgetown, Ohio passed away Monday, February 24, 2025 at the Ohio Valley Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center near Ripley, Ohio. She was born May 24, 1928 in Winchester, Ohio the daughter of the late Harold “Jeff” Jefferson and Katie (Hook) Anderson. The Anderson family moved often as Patty and her siblings were growing up. After spending her childhood in the rural areas of Adams and Brown Counties, the family moved to Georgetown where Patty lived the remainder of her adult life. She graduated from Georgetown High School in 1946. Patty married James Robert Bends on February 7, 1948 and three children came to this union. They were blessed with many lifelong friends, many of whom graduated with them from Georgetown High School. Several of the young men had played basketball and baseball together in high school and continued playing together in community leagues after graduating. Thus, their wives and children would spend many fun hours at local baseball fields. Jim and Patty’s life together was filled with camping and sightseeing adventures at dozens of national parks and monuments. It was during these multiple trips, to the western states, that Patty developed a concern about the hardships of the Native American children. She was a frequent donor to charities which aid these children. The two also shared a love of golf and card playing. She was a fierce competitor when playing euchre. Patty loved her extended family and there were many large Anderson Family gatherings; Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, campouts and card playing weekends at Patty’s sister’s home, Katie, in Columbus, Ohio and her brother’s home, Paul, in Dayton, Ohio.

During the years that Jim worked at the local newspaper, The News Democrat, he and Patty put together the Brown County Fair Catalog. She would gather advertisements from local businesses and Jim would format the ads along with the fair’s activities schedules. After creating this information, Jim would print and bind the catalogues. Sadly, Jim passed away on May 4, 1982 at the young age of 55. Patty’s love of golf continued and she still loved to play after Jim’s death. She played weekly, even past her 80th birthday. Another outdoor passion she had all her life was gardening. Her parents were lifelong gardeners and she inherited their love of working in the soil. In her later years, she particularly focused on propagating many colors and types of irises. In addition to working the soil with her hands, she loved to sew and knit, both of which she did very well. Some of her knitted items were quite complicated and beautiful. Patty also took ceramic classes over the course of several decades. Her family was blessed with sweaters for her children, festive holiday hats for grandchildren and Christmas Nativity sets. As well as being a talented homemaker, she had various full-time and part-time jobs. Patty was a member the Georgetown Presbyterian Church where she attended for more than 70 years and was member of the Fidelis class. In addition to her parents, Patty was preceded in death by her husband of 34 years, James Robert Bends in 1982, two sisters – Jeanette Anderson (infant) and Polly Marks and one brother – Paul “Buck” Anderson.

Mrs. Bends is survived by three children – James Patrick Bends of Bethel, Ohio, Nicholette Rogers of Wooster, Ohio and Michael Kevin Bends of Tucson, Arizona; seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; two sisters – Katie Swope and husband Dick of Reynoldsburg, Ohio and Alice Brooks of Georgetown and numerous nieces and nephews.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Interment will be in the Williamsburg Cemetery in Williamsburg, Ohio. The Cahall Funeral Home in Georgetown, Ohio is serving the family.

Everyone is invited to a Celebration of Life Gathering from 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Sunday, May 18, 2025 at the Venue On Lake Grant, 13257 US Route 68, Mt Orab, Ohio 45154.

In lieu of flowers donations please consider a donation to:

National Indian Child Welfare Association,

5100 S. Macadam Ave Suite 300, Portland, OR 97239 , www.NICWA.org

Helping Hands-ICS

P.O. Box 191, Georgetown, OH 45121

Condolences may be sent to the family at: www.cahallfuneralhomes.com