Solomon Leroy Hershberger

Solomon Hershberger was a man of such strength, a man with a big appetite for life, for love, and for family. He was a good-natured, fun-loving man, with a quiet confidence, so comfortable wherever he was. He had a healthy appetite for life and food.

Solomon's story began on a cold winter day in 1929, in the tiny town of Hart, Michigan. Those were such dark days for so many in this country, as the black clouds of the Great Depression set on our nation's skies, and times were tough for so many Americans. Yet on November 28, 1929, the young couple of John and Beatrice (Feasel) Hershberger found a reason to celebrate, with the birth of their first child, a baby son they named Solomon.

Solomon would eventually be joined by four younger sisters in the Hershberger home, which required the young boy to share plenty of responsibility growing up during the Depression. He also developed a lifelong love of hunting and fishing in that small northern Michigan town, nestled in the sandy soil not far from Silver Lake and Lake Michigan.

Solomon attended school through the 9th grade in Hart, when, like so many of his peers, he left school to help support his family working a local bowling alley. Later in life he would go back to school to earn his GED, but always striving for the best he could do, he was not satisfied with this, so he would eventually go back to school and obtain his high school diploma.

When he became a young man, Solomon moved from Hart to the Flint area for work, a move that advanced his personal life much more than his professional life. There he met a beautiful young girl named Winifred Wellman, who worked at a local restaurant he frequented. The two then had a chance meeting at a local dance hall one evening, and a lifelong love affair began that night. Solomon and Winifred dated for a year, before eloping in Ohio in 1957.

It wasn't long before the new husband and wife became father and mother, as well. The Hershberger family was growing, with the two children from a previous marriage, to the seven wonderful children they would have together over the years. Danny and Carol, Jerry, Dawn, Jo, Robert, James, Edwin and Tom filling out the large and loving family.

In 1959, Solomon packed up his growing family and moved to California to seek better employment, and he began driving a milk truck. Two years later, they would move back to Michigan, to his hometown area of Hart and Shelby. There he worked a variety of jobs, always doing whatever he could to provide for his beloved family. Solomon worked for a local farmer, and even a pie company, before he settled in with Sealed Power in Muskegon in 1965. He finally found a career there, and stayed for the next 26 years, eventually retiring in 1991.

In 1969, the family moved to West Olive, on the north side of Holland, which was a great area for them, particularly Solomon, who loved to fish and hunt. He was an excellent father, as well, who enjoyed doing everything with his kids. In many ways, he was a big kid himself. His children remember how their dad could kick a football a mile high in the air, or hitting ground balls to them playing baseball.

Solomon taught his kids so much, and he always understood the importance of play, and made sure his children enjoyed life as much as he did. When the children were older, he even went out and bought two motorcycles, one for the older kids, and a smaller one for the younger ones. The kids, of course, loved it, but it nearly gave his poor wife a heart attack!

He also took his boys hunting with him on occasion, although truth be told, he enjoyed the quiet of the woods more than the thrill of the hunt. His boys would stumble across their dad, propped against a tree, sleeping! Of course, he'd always famously claim he was just "resting his eyes."

That was Solomon, though, always comfortable wherever he was, always enjoying himself whatever he was doing. He enjoyed so many things in life, whether it was quiet mornings hunting, cloudless evenings fishing, or most of all, eating foods of all flavors. Solomon was as far from a fussy eater as one could get, and never met a meal he didn't like! With the exception of liver!

In 1990, Solomon and Winifred moved to Borculo, not far from West Olive, where they lived for 15 wonderful years in his retirement. They moved back to the north side of Holland in 2005, where he lived the rest of his days.

Sadly, Solomon died Tuesday, October 10, 2006, at Mercy Hospital in Muskegon.

He was a wonderful man, a man of such strength, with a healthy appetite and a limitless heart. Most of all, Solomon enjoyed every minute in his life, and taught us to do the same. He will be greatly missed.

Solomon Hershberger, age 76, of Holland, died Tuesday, October 10, 2006, at Mercy Hospital in Muskegon. Mr. Hershberger was born November 29, 1929, in Hart, MI, to John and Beatrice (Feasel) Hershberger. He was preceded in death by a son, Robert; and a granddaughter, Tonya Ann Spencer. Surviving are his wife of 49 years, Winifred Hershberger; Children, Danny & Sandy Hershberger of PA; Carol Jean Hershberger of Mt. Morris; Jerry & Jodi Hershberger of Holland; Dawn & Stanley Zuroske of Grand Haven; Jo Gilman of Holland; James Hershberger of Muskegon; Edwin & Tammy Hershberger of Holland; Tom & Ann Hershberger of Holland; several grandchildren, several great grandchildren; sisters, Lola Crothers of Shelby; Vera Harrel of Shelby; Verna & Bobby Blackmore of Hart; Judy & Norman Schultz of Montague; nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, 11 a.m., at the Mulder Chapel, Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes, 188 W. 32nd St., Holland. Officiating will be the Rev. Frank Senters and the Rev. Rick Brouillette.

Visitation is scheduled for Friday, from 7-9 p.m., at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Emphysema Foundation. Please visit Solomon's personal Memory Page at www.lifestorynet.com, to sign the online guestbook, leave a memory, or post a favorite photo of Solomon.