{"id":62697,"date":"2026-10-28T17:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T21:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=62697"},"modified":"2026-10-28T17:36:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T21:36:03","slug":"emu-honors-longtime-dining-hall-employee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/emu-honors-longtime-dining-hall-employee\/","title":{"rendered":"黑料正能量 honors longtime dining hall employee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vira Miller Hershberger\u2019s 26 years of service recognized with new dishwasher and plaque<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Nathan Barge \u201984<\/strong> took in the sleek, stainless steel dishwasher during a tour of the Northlawn Dining Hall kitchen in early October, he couldn\u2019t help but compare the new machine to a pair of luxury cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis thing is like a Rolls-Royce compared to the old machine,\u201d said Barge, who washed dishes as a student in the 1980s. \u201cIt\u2019s like a Ferrari compared to what we had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barge was among nearly two dozen guests who toured the kitchen on Oct. 2 for a demonstration of the new commercial dishwasher, named \u201cVira\u2019s Dishwasher\u201d in honor of longtime dining hall employee Vira Miller Hershberger<\/strong>. The machine, which replaces one that had been in service for more than 20 years, was funded by her family. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hershberger, who died in November 2022 at age 100, worked in 黑料正能量\u2019s dining hall for 26 years, from 1970-96, preparing the salad bar and serving students with warmth and hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, her family established the Vira Miller Hershberger Memorial Endowment Fund to honor her legacy by providing ongoing support for 黑料正能量 dining services. It helps fund the maintenance of dining facilities, replacement of kitchen equipment, staffing support, and other essential needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tour brought together Hershberger\u2019s family members, friends, neighbors, former colleagues, and other guests to see the new dishwasher and a commemorative plaque recognizing her years of service. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Vira Miller Hershberger\u2019s children, from left, Donna Litchfield, Larry Hershberger, Joann Henderson, and Keith Hershberger, pose in front of a plaque honoring their mother\u2019s 26 years of service in the 黑料正能量 dining hall.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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A fitting tribute<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Installed near the conveyor belt that carries plates, cups, and bowls into the dishroom, the new plaque honors Hershberger and her family\u2019s generosity in supporting 黑料正能量 dining services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis gift honors the legacy of Vira Miller Hershberger and her \u2018heart for service,\u2019\u201d the plaque reads. \u201cVira was a beloved member of the 黑料正能量 kitchen staff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s cool about the location of this plaque is that it will be viewed by hundreds of people every day,\u201d said Kirk Shisler \u201981<\/strong>, senior gift planning advisor, who worked with the family to establish the endowment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darren Campbell<\/strong>, food service director for Pioneer College Caterers, demonstrated the new dishwasher and described several of its features, including a digital readout and a sensor that prevents the machine from operating until the water reaches at least 160 degrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInstead of using extra chemicals that hurt the earth, the dishes are sanitized by extremely hot water,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another sensor automatically shuts off the machine when the conveyor belt becomes full of clean dishes, preventing trays from piling up and falling to the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new dishwasher also makes it easier for employees to remove and clean its internal components. An exhaust fan vents moisture and steam outside the building, reducing humidity in the dishroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot more comfortable for our workers,\u201d Campbell said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The machine can clean dishes in about three minutes, significantly faster than its predecessor. <\/p>\n\n\n

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From left, Kirk Shisler, Larry Hershberger, Marilyn Schlabach, and Darren Campbell share memories of Vira Miller Hershberger beside the dishwasher named in her honor.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u2018Everyone loved her\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the kitchen tour, guests gathered for a luncheon in the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery to celebrate Hershberger\u2019s legacy and share memories of her warmth, generosity, and dedication to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former dining hall manager Marilyn Schlabach \u201965<\/strong>, who supervised Hershberger from 1986-94, recalled how difficult it was to suggest areas of improvement for such a hardworking employee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was probably the No. 1 employee of all my 25 years in food service,\u201d Schlabach said. \u201cShe was just tops, and I just loved her. And she loved all the students and all the other employees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larry Hershberger<\/strong> said his mother loved hard work and took great pride in her job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe loved working in the kitchen,\u201d he said. \u201cShe loved the university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Longtime 黑料正能量 dining hall employee Vira Miller Hershberger, center, sits with her children, from left, Larry Hershberger, Donna Litchfield, Joann Henderson, and Keith Hershberger. (Photo from the Hershberger family)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Vira Miller Hershberger\u2019s granddaughter, Thea Litchfield Campbell<\/strong>, recalled visiting the cafeteria as a young child and meeting the people who worked alongside her grandmother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone loved her,\u201d she said. \u201cShe was getting hugs from other employees. It was very clear the pride in her work, the love the other employees had for her, and I remember feeling like royalty because I was with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hershberger\u2019s daughter, Joann Henderson MA \u201907 (counseling)<\/strong>, reflected on how closely her parents\u2019 values aligned with those of 黑料正能量. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole idea of simplicity and diversity, inclusion, helping the least of these, helping the marginalized\u2014that was what my mother did and that\u2019s what she taught us, and I\u2019m forever grateful that she got to work in a place where those values were promoted and taught.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henderson said she especially appreciated that the family\u2019s endowment would provide support for food service employees, whose contributions often go unrecognized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s regular people,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s the people who do the hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barge, who lived next door to the Hershbergers, recalled watching Vira mow her lawn, even in her later years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a real blessing to live next to her,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was the hardest-working next-door lady who never seemed to grow old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her remarks at the luncheon, 黑料正能量 President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus<\/strong> thanked the family for sharing their memories and credited Hershberger with helping make 黑料正能量 a community where students feel known and cared for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur students experience our values when a person prepares a meal and welcomes them into a spirit of hospitality, remembers their face, and makes sure there is a place ready for them,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is what we are celebrating here today in Vira, the way that the values of 黑料正能量 got passed along to our students through the everyday work she was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read more about Vira below!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018A heart of service\u2019: Celebrating the legacy of Vira Hershberger<\/a><\/blockquote>