TOLEDO-Hershal W. Weidner, 89, of Toledo passed away Sunday, October 9, 2011 at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames. Memorial Services will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 11:30 AM at Christ United Methodist Church Worship Center in Toledo with Pastor Brian Oliver officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo. A Memorial Visitation will be held Thursday morning from 10:30-11:30 AM at Christ United Methodist Church Worship Center in Toledo.
Hershal was born on April 28, 1922 near Clay City, IL, the son of Arthur and Chloe (Walker) Weidner. He grew up as a farm boy attending rural and small town schools. His parents moved to Iowa at the start of the depression in 1929. Hersh graduated from Montour High School and played as much baseball as possible during his school years. At the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Hersh enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He fought in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters, including duty in the Philippines in preparations for the invasion of Japan. For most of the war he was a Chief Petty Officer serving on Sub-Chasers in the Atlantic Theater. Hersh was a member of the American Legion for sixty-six years. He was united in marriage to Shirley Orcutt on May 20, 1944 in Key West, Florida.
After WWII he returned to Iowa to live in Montour. After working at Lenox right after the War, he and Shirley moved to Toledo in 1950 so he could begin working for Twin City Ford. Hersh and Shirley owned Twin City Ford for forty-one years where he received many awards for quality service. Hersh served the Toledo Community for many years sitting on the city council for twenty-eight years. Much of that service was focused on public safety, infrastructure, and finance. Cars and fishing were his most avid interests.
Preceding him in death were his parents; two brothers, Charlie and Harold; and one sister, Dorothy Spinler.
Survivors include his wife of sixty-seven years Shirley Weidner of Toledo; two sons, Marv (Marty) Weidner of Austin, TX and Craig Weidner of Alaska; five grandchildren, Dru Weidner, Shelly Spurlin, Seth Weidner, Libby Tate and Emily Foster; ten great-grandchildren, Ellie, Katy, Annie, Gabe, Michael, Xander, Brianna, Caitlin, Ryan and Cameron; one sister, Clara Rose (Phillip) Barker of Marshalltown; and one brother, Richard (Carol) Weidner of Marshalltown.
A memorial fund has been established.