Born and raised on a farm in western Perry County, Terry F. Bender has resided in the county all his life. He is a graduate of West Perry High School and attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He spent nearly forty years in the oil industry, first as a truck driver, then later in mid-level management. 

He and his wife Donna celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in November 2024. They have three sons, five granddaughters, and three grandsons.

Terry’s hobbies include collecting and reading books on the Civil War, crossword puzzles, woodworking, cutting firewood, and doting on the grandchildren.