Huber, Vida J. Swartzentruber (1937-2005)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 Dec 5 p. 6

Birth date: 1937 Mar 27

text of obituary:

Former EMU nursing head dies at 68

By Jim Bishop

Eastern Mennonite University

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Vida J. Huber, 68, who was instrumental in the developemnt and growth of the baccalaureate nursing program at Eastern Mennonite University, died of an intracranial hemorrhage Nov. 20 at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.

Huber was an associate dean of the College of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison Univesity in Harrisonburg at the time of her death. She was also director of the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services and professor of nursing at JMU. From 1967-84, she was chair of the nursing department at EMU.

"Vida brought many ideas to EMU from her graduate school days at Columbia Teacher's College, " said EMU provost Beryl H. Brubaker, who succeeded Huber as nursing department chair. "She and I worked closely together in the 1970s as the faculty developed EMU's innovative nursing program, much of which continues to the present."

Huber was born March 27, 1937, at West Liberty, Ohio, the daughter of Laban L. and Nanna Bender Swartzentruber.

She received a bachelor's degree from Eastern Mennonite college and master's and doctoral degrees from Columbia Teachers college. She received her nurse's training at Milford (Del.) Memorial Hospital School of Nursing.

Huber was active in numerous professional, civic and health-related organizations, including serving as president or board member of the Valley AIDS Network and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Free Clinic.

She also held a variety of leadership positions at Broad Street mennonite Church.

On June 6, 1970, she married Harold E. Huber, who survives. He retired in December 2004, after 30 years at EMU, most recently serving as assistant in the archives and Menno Simons Historical Library.

Also surviving is a daughter, Heidi, and her husband, David Schanberger, of Baltimore; a brother and four sisters.

Services were held Nov. 23 at Weavers Mennonite Church, with burial in the church cemetery.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2006 May 1 p. 10