Obituary for Calvin Ray Hershner

Calvin R. Hershner, 79, 2533 Falbrook Dr. NE died Monday, December 19, 2005 at St. Luke’s Hospital after an extended illness. A Memorial Service will be held at Peoples Church Unitarian-Universalist on January 6th. Cal was born November 11, 1926 on a farm near Oregon, Missouri to Roy and Hattie Sahlin Hershner. After high school, he served in the Army in South Korea 1945-1947. He attended St. Joseph (Missouri) Junior College. Cal earned a B.A. degree from the University of Kansas in Social Studies Education in 1951 and a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota, 1953, in Educational Psychology/Counseling and Guidance. He married Dorothy Ann Christensen in Ft. Scott, Kansas on August 17, 1952. Cal began his career in Education teaching in Kansas City, Kansas and Davenport, Iowa. The couple settled in Cedar Rapids in 1961, where Cal was a teacher and counselor for the Cedar Rapids Community Schools from 1961 until his retirement in 1989. Cal taught at all 3 public high schools during that time. He served on several visitations teams for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. He was active in the Cedar Rapids Education Association, serving as president from 1979-1981. In retirement, which he liked to call refocusing, his interest and involvement continued as he volunteered with groups which emphasized teacher and senior citizen interests. Cal served as president of the Cedar Rapids Retired Teachers group from 1993-1995. He was active in many AARP projects and committees on the local, district and state levels. Cal was enthusiastic about his work with the Heritage Agency on Aging supporting important efforts on behalf of senior citizens. He was a representative to the Older Iowans Legislature (O.I.L.) for several terms. He served on the Heritage Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. In 2001, Cal was honored and recognized for his service with a Governor’s Volunteer Award and with the Heritage Agency Council – Area Ten and Linn County, as an Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year. Cal always was interested in current world, national and local news. He kept up to date through reading a wide variety of newspapers, magazines and other sources. He tried his best to make a difference through his activities and his writing. Calvin is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dorothy; sons Stephen Hershner and wife Marta, and Philip Hershner and wife Susan; daughter Elisa Geneser and husband Jeff; and 8 grandchildren, Katherine, Meredith, Sara, Elizabeth, Hilary Hershner and James, Grace and Emma Geneser, all residing in Cedar Rapids and Marion. Cal was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, John M. Hershner of Denver, Colorado. We will miss his presence, his humor, his kindness, though he will be with us always in memory and laughter and the shared family times which were so very important to him. The family would appreciate memorials made in Cal’s name to be sent to Council for a Livable World, 322 4th Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002, the Older Iowans Fund, Heritage Area Agency on Aging at Kirkwood Community College, or to Peoples Church, 600 3rd Ave S.E., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401. Cal’s family would be pleased to hear your memories which may be sent to the home address or to www.iowacremation.com under obituaries. Arrangements by the Cremation Society of Eastern Iowa.