Barbara Hershberger

Barbara (Miller) Hershberger was born in 1929 at Arthur, Illinois, to Polly Helmuth and Jacob E. Miller. She was married in 1956 to Floyd Hershberger, son of Levi and Susie Hershberger. She was the first of 11 children and had five children of her own, Floyd James, Paula Sue, Robert Mark, Patricia Jane, and Kristen Larae (Quinnan). Paula Sue predeceased her in 1960.

Barbara passed this morning, July 22, in Tucson, Arizona, after a three-month battle with brain cancer. You could see Barbara's warm and playful smile even when she hurt. Over her life she had 15 surgeries and lived with chronic pain from degenerative bone disease. Her final peaceful moments were at home with her family.

Through her mother, Barbara had a lifelong love of music and singing. She introduced much music to her siblings while growing up, was a soprano and loved to sing in harmony. While still at her childhood home, most surprisingly for the culture she was raised in, she had an actual record player, and played songs like "Life is like a Mountain Railroad," "Mockingbird Hill" and "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window." Music moved her and brought her serenity, especially in her final days.

When going into first grade, Barbara spoke Pennsylvania Dutch and struggled to learn English. She was not able to finish high school due to the demands of a farm life in the 1940s. She had a lifelong love of learning that followed; in middle age she received her GED, and continued on to take courses at IUSB. Barbara was an avid reader throughout life and enjoyed discussing the books she read.

Barbara has always provided loving care for those around her, whether for the younger siblings, her nursing patients, her own family, church, Girl Scouts, and the community. As a young adult she traveled to Minnesota and taught Bible School at The Blue Moon Tavern. As a young woman, she attended the La Junta Nursing School. With her family, she helped open a Drop-in Center in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Later in life, she and Floyd retired to Carlsbad where Barbara enjoyed sorting donations at the CARC Bargain Store. She volunteered throughout her life, most recently sewing for the Adaptation Station and doing office work for the Community Food Bank, both in Tucson, Arizona.

Always with a needle and thread in her hands, Barbara loved sewing and made countless quilts, wall hangings and embroidery pieces with the tiniest of stitches. She enjoyed board games, especially Scrabble, and enjoyed discussion around the table. She was good at crafting and often made things for others. Barbara loved growing things and appreciated nature, observing the smallest wildflower to growing her beloved roses. She often had a garden, and later in life planted herbs, enjoying tea she made from the mint she grew.

Barbara had a true spirit of adventure, traveling and camping in much of the country with her family. She really enjoyed visiting Kenya and loved living with her husband for two years in San Juan, Puerto Rico, volunteering at Mennonita School.

Church was a major part of Barbara's life. She's been a member at Salem Mennonite Church, Toto Mennonite Church, Maple Grove (Belleville, Pa.), Fish Lake, Belmont Mennonite Church, Kern Road Chapel, Carlsbad Mennonite Church, and Shalom Mennonite Church in Tucson. She often led singing and worked with younger children.

Barbara loved animals and had many pets over the years. Even as a child, she would work with litters of farm kittens until she got them tamed and occasionally nursed them back to health.
Barbara worked at a variety of positions: Troyer's Poultry, Middlebury Greenhouse, LaGrange Nursing Home, Weaver's Nursing Home, Mattress Factory in Wakarusa, a variety of nursing homes and in-home health services, Bethel Bookstore, Penn High School Cafeteria, and Kmart.

As Barbara has said in the past, "life and love are just worked out one day at a time." She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 28th at 10 a.m. at Shalom Mennonite Church in Tucson, Arizona. A 10 a.m. graveside memorial will be held on Saturday, Aug. 4, at Yellow Creek Cemetery in Goshen, Indiana.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in Barbara's name to your favorite charity.