Hershberger, Irene (1920-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2009 Mar 9 p. 8

Birth date: 1920 Jan 18

text of obituary:

IRENE HERSHBERGER

Irene Hershberger, 89, of Walnut Creek, Ohio, died Feb. 25, 2009, at Walnut Hills Nursing Home. She was born Jan. 18, 1920, to Homer and Leora (Hostetler) Hershberger in Walnut Creek.

She graduated from Walnut Creek High School in 1937 and from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1947 with a bachelor of arts degree. She received her master of science degree in education from Indiana University in 1956.

She taught business courses at Goshen College for a number of years and then was executive secretary at Goshen Seminary in Elkhart. She spent a number of years in Germany working with MCC and traveled extensively in Europe while there. After returning to the U.S. she went to Walnut Creek to help her ailing mother. From 1967 to 1987 she taught typing, keyboarding and business at Central Christian High School in Kidron. She was known to make students put away their calculators and use their heads. After retiring from CCHS, she was a tour guide at Yoder’s Amish Home in Trail for a number of years.

Never married and living with her brother Merlin, she always made sure his needs were met. Together they traveled and went to concerts and tours. She was well traveled and an interesting person who always had a story to tell. She had friends all over the world. She was a member of Walnut Creek Fine Arts Club, a charter member of Joel Pomerene Hospital Auxiliary and an active member of Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. She enjoyed reading, doing crossword puzzles and word searches and playing scrabble and “pick.”

Survivors include a brother, Merlin Hershberger; a sister-in-law, Norma Hershberger of Walnut Creek; and nieces Cheryl Yoder of Wooster, Marsha Snyder of Sarasota, Fla., and Bonnie Mellor of Dover.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Howard; an infant sister, Marjorie; and a nephew, Ronald.

Services were held at Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.