Hershberger, Suvilla M.

Suvilla M. Hershberger died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona at the age of 91 years. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the Kalona Mennonite Church. The Rev. Scott Swartzendruber and the Rev. Perry Miller will officiate. Burial will be in East Union Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Yoder-Powell Funeral Home in Kalona, where the family will greet friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.

Suvilla was born Dec. 3, 1919, near Sturgis, Mich., the daughter of Menno and Fannie (Yoder) Bontrager. Her family moved to Iowa when she was young. On Aug. 28, 1941, she was united in marriage to Joseph Hershberger in rural Kalona. Suvilla worked as a lab attendant in the radiology department at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for many years, before retiring in 1984. Joe and Suvilla lived in the Iowa City area for many years; in 1987, they moved to Sun City, Ariz., and they returned to Kalona in 2003.

She was a member of the Kalona Mennonite Church. She enjoyed gardening, oil painting, ceramics, quilting, and helping others.

Suvilla is survived by her husband, Joseph of Kalona; a daughter, Esther Gingerich and husband Warren of Kalona; a son, Jeremiah (Dawn) Hershberger of Council Grove, Kan.; three grandchildren, Lisa Harms, Jeff and Dan Gingerich; five great-grandchildren, Philip and Steven Harms, Katie and Sam Gingerich, Calvin Gingerich; three sisters, Lovina Miller of Kalona, Edna Yoder of Iowa City and Esther Tate of Iowa City; a brother, Joe Bontrager of Fresno, Calif.; and a sister-in-law, Mabel Bontrager of Kalona.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Philip Hershberger; and three brothers, Clarence Bontrager, Amos Bontrager and Perry Bontrager.

A memorial fund has been established for Iowa City Hospice.

Messages may be sent to the family at