Showalter, Carl Grove (1911-2005)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 Apr 4 p. 11

Birth date: 1911 Mar 15

text of obituary:

CARL GROVE SHOWALTER

Carl Grove Showalter, 93, of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg, died March 4, 2005. He was born March 15, 1911, to H.D.H. and Flora Mae Grove Showalter of Broadway.

In June 1930 he graduated from Eastern Mennonite University. He then pursued studies at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

After his graduation from MCV with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy in June 1934, he returned to Broadway to own and manage Broadway Drug Store. He continued pharmacy practice until his retirement in 1990.

In July 1934, he married Louise Mensch of Skippack, Pa., who preceded him in death in June 1992 after almost 58 years of marriage.

He served on the board of directors of First National Bank of Broadway from 1941 until the bank was acquired by Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Winchester. In December 1949, he was appointed as a member of the Rockingham County School Board, a position he held until his retirement in June 1975. He was elected to the town council of Broadway and served 10 years. He was an active alumnus of EMU and served on the board of trustees, 1975-79. In 1984, he and his wife established the Carl G. and Louise M. Showalter Scholarship Fund at EMU for pre-medical, pre-pharmacy and pre-nursing students. In 1993 he became a founding sponsor of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival.

He was a lifelong member of Trissels Mennonite Church near Broadway. He taught a Sunday school class for many years and served as Sunday school superintendent. As a trustee he took an active role in the construction of a new church building in 1950 and the annex and social hall in 1964.

Survivors include three sons, C. Robert and his wife, Charity, of Harrisonburg, Donald E. and his wife, Marlene, and Nelson L. and his wife, Phyllis, all of Broadway; a brother, James; three sisters, Ethel Strite, Kathryn Shank and Doris Trumbo; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were held at Trissels Mennonite Church.