Raymond C. Bender age 96 of West Lafayette Indiana died at 5:35 A.M. Saturday May 29th at University Place where he had been a resident for the past 10 months. He was born on May 15th 1908 on the Bender Family Farm in Shelby Township Tippecanoe County Indiana. He was the son of Charles J. and Grace Slaughter Bender. Raised to farm work he developed a deep interest and love for the land and history. The Kickapoo Indian Trail ran through the family farm and as a child he gathered many Indian arrowheads on the land. He attended Asbury one-room school and graduated from Montmorenci High School at age 15. He earned a B.A. Degree at Wabash College and graduated in 1928. He received an M.S. degree from Butler University in 1950. He did post graduate work at Purdue and Indiana State Universities. During his teaching career he was awarded two fellowships one from the Lafayette Journal and Courier to attend a newspaper workshop at the University of Iowa and another fellowship to attend Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy New York. During the depression years from 1928 to 1934 he worked on the home farm and from 1934 to 1943 he taught History English Government Economics and Speech at Montmorenci High School. He also directed plays and coached Junior High basketball. His winners in speech were Tippecanoe County champions. In 1943 Raymond moved on to Lafayette Jefferson High School where he taught history government economics and Modern Indiana Life until 1971 when he took early retirement after teaching for 37 years to engage in farm sales and farm land management. At Lafayette Jefferson High School he developed a course curriculum for seniors not continuing their education called Modern Indiana Life. It was offered for many years at Jefferson and other high schools in the state fashioned similar courses after it. At Jefferson High School he served as supervisor of practice teachers for Purdue University and Indiana State University from 1943 to 1971. Fifty-five students student teachers were trained in his classes many of them now teaching all over the United States. At Jefferson High School he was the sponsor of the Future Teachers' Club of America for many years. Many of these students are now outstanding teachers or principals. For many years he was chairman of the Social Studies Department at Jefferson High School and served as Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Lafayette Education Association. In his retirement he also served as Chairman of the Tippecanoe-Benton County Retired Teachers Association. Raymond was a member of the Indiana Historical Society Lafayette Historical Association and Shelby Township Historical Corporation. For thirty-seven years he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Tippecanoe County Historical Society and in 1987 he was named Governor Emeritus. He was active and one of the founders of the Shelby Township Historical Corporation since 1975. He played a vital role in the 1979 Sesquicentennial Celebration in Montmorenci and he served for many years as chairman of the board of the corporation. He wrote several historical articles that were published and enjoyed writing stories of his life on the farm. As a member of the Lafayette Historical Association he was involved for many years with giving a lecture each October at Fort Quiotenon. He served as chairman of the signs and markers committee for the association. Under his direction many historical signs were erected including Prophetstown Roebuck Homestead Mayo Brothers and John T. McCutcheon markers. With the Shelby Township historical Corporation he helped them erect markers at various one-room school sites in the township. Until recently he helped plan programs and gather supporters for the historical corporation. In 1963 he was listed in the Who's Who in Indiana. From 1953 to 1993 he was a licensed real estate and insurance salesman in Indiana. He was still involved in family farm management until his death. In 1931 he became a member of the Green Hill Lodge #455 and served as the Grand Master in 1938. In 2002 he received an honorary past master award from the lodge for being a 65 year past master. For 75 years he was a member of the Montmorenci United Methodist Church where he was chairman of the Board of Trustees and adult Sunday school teacher for many years. He was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church Lafayette Indiana. On May 15 2003 Raymond was awarded the State of Indiana's highest honor being named a Sagamore of the Wabash by the late Governor of Indiana Frank O'Bannon. On April 7 2004 he was honored by the Lafayette School Corporation and inducted into their Wall of Fame. Raymond met Sarah Rankin while teaching at Montmorenci School. They were married on August 10 1942. They both taught school for many years in Tippecanoe County Schools. Sarah died in 1996. He is survived by their daughter Grace LaChey (fiance Marc Eernisse) and granddaughter Elizabeth Leigh LaChey of Mequon Wisconsin. Further survived by cherished relatives many dear friends and former students. br /Service:br /11:00 AM at Montmorenci Cemetery Chapel on June 3 2004 (a target=_blank href=http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Montmorencistate=INaddress=zip=zoom=8map/driving directions/a) br/br/