Hershberger, Simon (1920-2010)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Dec 20 p. 9

Birth date: 1920 Sep 23

text of obituary:

SIMON HERSHBERGER

Simon Hershberger, 90, of Bird-in-Hand, Pa., died Dec. 10, 2010. He was born Sept. 23, 1920, to Daniel and Katieann Beachy Hershberger near Farmerstown, Ohio.

He married Esta Miller in Kalispell, Mont., during his years of Civilian Public Service in Glacier National Park. They were married 62 years before she preceded him in death in March 2008.

He co-owned Balco Machine Co. in Farmerstown for 21 years. He held a lifetime membership in the Mennonite Information Center in Berlin, Ohio, and was a 31-gallon blood donor. He loved to read, discuss politics, listen to classical and bluegrass music, clear the meadows and fence rows of weeds and hike in Montana and Arizona.

A faithful member of Walnut Creek (Ohio) Mennonite Church, he served as elder, Sunday school and vacation Bible school superintendent and Sunday school teacher. He was an associate member of Stumptown Mennonite Church in Bird-in-Hand and Sunnyslope Mennonite Church in Phoenix, Ariz., where he and his wife spent 22 winters. In 1975 they served in Buckeye, Ariz., in voluntary service, and he had also volunteered at Ten Thousand Villages in Pennsylvania and Glencroft Thrift Shop in Arizona. He lived in Bird-in-Hand for the past 12 summers.

Survivors include two daughters, Joanne Yoder and her husband, Steve, of Glendale, Ariz., and Myrna Smucker and her husband, John, of Bird-in-Hand; two brothers, Henry Hershberger and his wife, Ruth, and Daniel Hershberger, all of Sugarcreek, Ohio; three sisters-in-law, Katieann Hershberger of Millersburg, Ohio, Ellen Hershberger of Dublin, Ohio, and Fannie Hershberger of Dover, Ohio; a brother-in-law, Moses Kaufman of Sugarcreek, Ohio, and six grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Esta; an infant son, Jonas; three sisters, Ada and Mattie Hershberger and Emma Kramer; and three brothers, Roy, Jonas and Emmanuel Hershberger.

Services were held at Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. Burial was in Walnut Creek Mennonite Cemetery.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2011 Jan 17 p. 9