The Olen Hershberger Scholarship Fund
Olen Hershberger was born near Alliance, Ohio on March 31st, 1927 to David M. and Ida (Crilow) Hershberger. While two of his three sisters were older, he really became a “big brother” to all three of them and the family remained close throughout Olen’s life.
Olen was baptized at the age of 12 at the Beech Mennonite Church (Louisville, OH) and was later asked to serve as one of the leaders at nearby Stoner Heights Mennonite Church. He graduated from Louisville High School and farmed with his father until in 1955, at the age of 28, he was drafted into military service.
Rather than enter the military, Olen chose to do alternative service and after receiving his 1-W status, moved to Denver, Colorado to work as an orderly in a hospital. In 1956, Mennonite Central Committee asked him to take a leadership role in the 1-W program and he served in that capacity for a number of years. In this position, Olen served as the liaison between the 1-W men, the Selective Service Administration and the institutions where the men were placed.
None of Olen’s family anticipated how much he would fall in love with the West and that he would not return to Ohio until many years later. After 1955, Olen never farmed again but he often mentioned that the values of hard work and dedication to a task learned during his farming years certainly stayed with him the rest of his life. His three sisters, their husbands and his 16 nieces and nephews were his family and while they were separated by many miles, they kept Olen informed about what was happening in their lives. Olen could always tell you what was going on “back home”. When any family members visited him in Colorado, he always took off time from work and focused on the family. The family says they all enjoyed visiting with Olen because he cared so much about them and took such an interest in their lives.
Olen was a successful businessman in Denver and served on a number of committees, sometimes in leadership roles. He was a member of First Mennonite Church in Denver from 1955 to 2003 and served in various leadership roles during those years. In addition, he served on a number of other boards and committees, including Colorado Mennonite Disaster Service where he served as chair of the board for 7 years.
The family would like all recipients of this scholarship to know that Olen was a man who thought it was simply part of his life and calling to serve others. He loved and was loved by many. He cared deeply about his family, loved his Lord and spent his whole life in service to others, never expecting anything in return. His family and loved ones would challenge all recipients of this scholarship to strive to keep Olen’s caring spirit alive.