Irene Hershberger

WALNUT CREEK, Ohio — Irene Hershberger, 89, died Wednesday at Walnut Hills Nursing Home following a brief illness.

She was born Jan. 18, 1920, in Walnut Creek to the late Homer and Leora (Hostetler) Hershberger. She graduated from Walnut Creek High School in 1937 and from Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., with a bachelor of arts degree in 1947. She received her master of science degree in education from Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., in 1956. She taught business courses at Goshen College for a number of years and then was hired as executive secretary by Harold Bender, dean of 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 Indiana, she was called home to Walnut Creek to help care for her ailing mother. From 1967 to 1987 she taught typing, keyboarding and business at Central Christian High School, Kidron, Ohio. She was known to make students put away their calculators and use their heads.

After retirement 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 and together they traveled and went to concerts and tours. Irene was a well-traveled and very interesting person who always had a story to tell. She had friends all over the world and never met a stranger.

She was a member of Walnut Creek Fine Arts Club, a charter member of Joel Pomerene Hospital Auxiliary and was a very active member of Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. She enjoyed reading, doing crossword puzzles and word searches, playing Scrabble and “pick.”

She is survived by her brother, Merlin Hershberger of the home; sister-in-law, Norma Hershberger, Walnut Creek; nieces and their families, Cheryl (Verton) Yoder, Wooster, Marsha (Keith) Snyder, Sarasota, Fla.; and Bonnie (Jim) Mellor, Dover.

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

Celebration of life services will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Walnut Creek Mennonite Church, with Pastors Bob Schloneger and Beau Hummel officiating.

Burial will be in the church cemetery prior to the services.

Friends may call Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at Walnut Creek Mennonite Church.

Arrangements are being handled by Smith-Varns Funeral Home, Sugarcreek.

Memorials may be made to the Walnut Creek Mennonite Church, P.O. Box 182, Walnut Creek, OH 44687 or Holmes County Hospice, 931 Wooster Road, Millersburg, OH 44654.

Special thanks to the loving and caring staff at Walnut Hills Nursing Home and the Holmes County Hospice for their compassionate care. The family also wishes to thank the family of Paul and Amanda Burkholder for being caring neighbors and helpers through the years.

For those unable to attend, please visit the funeral home’s web site to share a memory and sign the guest register of Smith-Varns Funeral Home, www.smithfuneral.com.