Ruth E. Hershelman

CONNEAUTVILLE - Ruth E. Hershelman, 97, formerly of 17292 State Highway 198, Saegertown, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, at Rolling Fields Inc., Conneautville. She had been a resident of Hillside Home in Meadville for the five years prior to her stay at Rolling Fields. Born in Armstrong County, Nov. 30, 1912, she was the daughter of Fred and Josephine London Rickel. She married D. Elmer Hershelman on Nov. 29, 1930, in Meadville. He preceded her in death June 14, 1981. She is survived by two sons, Harold Hershelman and his wife, Joan, of Longmeadow, Mass., and Newel Hershelman and his wife, Erva, of the Saegertown area; a daughter, Linda Repko and her husband, Frank, of the Saegertown area; eight grandchildren, Linda Goluskin and her husband, Mark, of Pasadena, Calif., Becky Mancini and her husband of Erie, Sean Hershelman and his wife, Noreen, of Myrtle Beach, S.C.., Tami Berthiaume and her husband, Roland, of East Longmeadow, Mass., Heather Chaplin of Longmeadow,Cheryl Hiller and her husband of South Dakota, Jeff Hershelman and his wife, Lisa, of Meadville, and Randy Hershelman and his wife, Roxanne, of Saegertown; and many great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two grandchildren, Larry Smith of Albuquerque, N.M., and Susan Stone of Franklin; a son, James Hershelman; a brother, Sam Rickel; and a sister, Dawn Corrigan. She was a charter member of Venango Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 169 Auxiliary and is believed to have been the oldest living member there. She was a long-standing member of Hamlin Chapel at Coons Corners. She enjoyed quilting where her quilts won many awards the Crawford County Fair. In addition, she loved to do needlepoint work as well as china painting. She also enjoyed her gardening and canning. She made her home welcome as a place to live for many extended family members at one time or another. Some of those included her parents, her husband's father, her sister and her family, her own children as well as some of her grandchildren. Her home was always open to those who needed to "stay for a while." She defined the way we think of motherhood and she will be missed. Calling hours will be Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Roofner-Collins Funeral Home, 544 Chestnut St., Meadville. The funeral and committal service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Robert Fuller of Hamlin Chapel officiating. Burial will be in Saegertown Cemetery.