Mathilda Ruth Hershberger, 89, of 3864 Township Road 162, Sugarcreek, passed away at her residence on November 15th. She was born on December 12th, 1934, to the late Cornelius and Sylvia (Nieveen) Slotemaker. She married Henry “Hank” Hershberger on October 16, 1959. Henry passed away in 2023.
Ruth attended the Branch Church, formerly Farmerstown Mennonite Church and Countryside Chapel. She was a Bible translator with Wycliffe Bible Translators and played an important part in two translation projects: the Kuku-Yalanji in Queensland, Australia; and the Pennsylvania Deitsh Bible. She was also a translation consultant, checking other translations of Bible books in both Australia and the US. Ruth had graduated from nursing school before joining Wycliffe. When she and Hank returned to the US from Australia, she re-certified as a nurse, and worked at Walnut Hills Nursing Home. She never sought the spotlight; she certainly lived out Harry Truman’s philosophy: “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
Ruth’s favorite pastime was reading. She also enjoyed knitting and crocheting, watching birds, and doing crossword and sudoku puzzles. And she enjoyed seeing nature with Hank, both the local countryside and many of the national and state parks.
She will be missed by her children, Danny (Tabby) Hershberger of Pensacola, FL; Carol (John) Berthelette of Walnut Creek; and Steve Hershberger, of Berlin; 4 grandchildren, Taylor (Sarah), Trent (Rachel), Tori (Jesse), and Tucker; and 3 great-grandchildren, Reece, Roman, and Ryder.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her sister Arlene Barry, and her brothers John, Melvin and Ivan. Her brother Gerald survives her.
Visitation will be at The Branch Church on Thursday, November 21st, between 5-7 PM. Funeral services will be held at The Branch Church on Friday, November 22nd at 10 AM. The burial will follow at Union Hill Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Smith-Varns Funeral Home in Sugarcreek. For those unable to attend, please visit the funeral home’s website to sign the guest register.
Memorials may be made in Ruth’s memory to Holmes County LifeCare Hospice, 1900 Akron Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691.
Smith-Varns Funeral Home
330-852-2141
www.smithfuneralhomesugarcreek.com
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