Warren F. Groff ’49Remembering

Warren F. Groff ’49

In the person of Warren Frederick Groff, knowledge and faith; academy and church; the life of the mind and the life of the spirit, found productive room to live together.

In 1949, he graduated summa cum laude from Juniata College and went on to earn a Bachelor of Divinity and a Doctor of Philosophy from Yale. He taught at Bridgewater College, Harvard University, and Bethany Theological Seminary where he also served as dean and president. His mind and spirit were nurtured both by the Ivy League and by the culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch. He reflected with equal ease and clarity on abstract philosophical complexities and the “things learned at mother’s knee.”

In the classroom, he was gentle but persistent, never berating or intimidating, and also never settling for anything less than one effort beyond the student’s self-determined limit. He both taught and became “paradigm” for his students. To the larger theological, academic community he brought a singleness of purpose—to establish rigor and excellence while struggling to find language devoid of jargon, pretense or special code. As president of the American Theological Society, he demonstrated a concern for both institutional vitality and robust support for curiosity tempered by efficacy. He did the same for the Church of the Brethren graduate school of theology during his 30 years of service. As a member of the Committee on Revision of Standards of the Association of Theological Schools, he set marks that continue to guide seminary education in the United States. In the international arena, serving on the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, he provided the same persistent nudge toward excellence and salience.

In like manner, he brought this genial intensity to the world of play. Whether at the bridge table or standing in a river with a homemade lure, he bore a cultivated focus that called for admiration and emulation in those who knew him.

He graced theology with a tenderness that gave the discipline life and vitality. His quiet energy was an intellectual and spiritual leaven for those he served. In an era when the winds of doctrine seem to blow in shifty and uneven patterns and fact seems sometimes unmoored from systematic investigation, the life of this scholar, educator, pastor and churchman can be a “. . . star to every wandering bark whose worth’s unknown, although its height be taken.” (Sonnet 116, Shakespeare).

—Andy Murray, retired professor of peace and conflict studies

Warren F. Groff, 94, of Bartlett, Illinois, died Sunday, June 23, 2019. He is remembered and admired as a loving husband and father, perceptive scholar, ardent churchman, skilled wordsmith, gentle soul, and thoughtful friend to many. Warren was born on June 27, 1924 in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the nearby town of Harleysville. He was a World War II veteran, serving as master sergeant in the Army until 1946. Warren married the love of his life, Ruth (Davidheiser) on August 30, 1947, and they celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary last year. Warren’s academic achievements include a bachelor’s degree from Juniata College in 1949, a bachelor of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1952, and a Ph.D. from Yale University in 1955. He was an ordained minister, serving at churches in Pennsylvania and Connecticut from 1946–1954, and as an associate professor of religion at Bridgewater College from 1954–1958. Warren worked at Bethany Theological Seminary from 1958–1989, serving as professor of theology, dean, and president. He was an accomplished author, and respected for his many contributions to theological education. Warren served as a member of the Juniata College Board of Trustees from 1976–2000 and was an emeritus trustee from 2000 until his death. He received the Alumni Achievement Award in 1976 and the Church-College Service Award in 1989. He was an active member of York Center Church of the Brethren for more than 50 years. In his free time, Warren loved playing bridge and other card games, and freshwater fishing (often using his own handmade “cedar plug” lures). He had a positive impact on many, many people and will be greatly missed by family and friends. Warren is survived by his wife Ruth, son David and wife Jill, sister-in-law Barbara, and five nieces and nephews, Steve, Laurie, Julie, Lisa, and Brad. He was preceded in death by his parents, Reinhart and Reba (Rupert), and his brothers Russell and wife Ada, and Paul.

Dottie (Lehman) Hershberger ’50

Dottie Hershberger was many things to me—a collaborator, a cousin, a mentor, a cheerleader, an instigator in all the right ways, and one of the finest role models I have ever known. She was a beloved alumni director and never gave up on her work of connecting Juniatians with each other and with the College.

Dottie served Juniata in a variety of roles; too many to fit on one page. However, because she holds a special place in the College’s history, it seems fitting that we would highlight a few important moments. Dottie served as alumni representative to the Board of Trustees from 1978–1981. In 1981, she and her husband Rex ’50, were honored by the Alumni Association with the Alumni Service Award. In June of 1982, Dottie was hired by the College to serve in the roles of assistant director of alumni affairs and director of church relations. The following year, she was promoted to director of alumni affairs, a position she held until 1993. In 1994, Dottie was recognized by the Church College Relations Council with the Church-College Service Award.

Prior to her time as a trustee and Alumni Relations staff, Dottie was a member of the Alumni Council and Church College Relations Council, assistant general chair of the Century II Campaign and loyal volunteer for many years. Most recently, Dottie continued to serve the College in many ways from reunion committee member to class fund agent, from Uncommon Outcomes Campaign volunteer to one of the organizers of the storied Celebration of Women.

Her impact and the way she went about making things happen was captured beautifully in a story that a friend recently shared with me. At a dinner many years ago, Parisha Shah ’01 told Dottie of her joy at being a part of the Celebration of Women as a student and expressed how much she admired Dottie’s work. Parisha recounted, “She told me that was lovely, but that admiration was not what she wanted. She said she always avoided falling into the trap of needing accolades and admiration, but rather she just decided to do things that she thought were important and then got them done… But then, she did wink at me and say, ‘It really was wonderful, wasn’t it?’” Dottie and that sparkle in her eyes will be dearly missed by her Juniata family.

—David D. Meadows ’98, director of alumni relations & stewardship

58 | Juniata Dorothy Marie (Lehman) Hershberger, 91, passed away peacefully on Sept. 26, 2019, at her Homewood apartment, in Martinsburg, Pa. The first of four children born to Walter B. Lehman and Margaret Murr Lehman, Dottie was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Lawn, Pa. She married Rex Wilbur Hershberger ’50 Aug. 12, 1952, in Lititz, Pa., and they made their home in Martinsburg, Pa. Dottie served as a role model and inspiration for her children, Kimber Hershberger ’75 (John Wetzel), of Richmond, Va.; Loren Hershberger (Christine), of Hollidaysburg, Pa.; Bernie Hershberger, of Portland, Maine; and Dan Hershberger (Mary), of Martinsburg, Pa. She was very proud of her seven grandchildren, Brenton Joo Mitchell ’06 (Morgan), Rebekah Mitchell, Eli Hershberger ’13, Mara Hershberger (Logan Hanley), Eva Hershberger Karns (Brian Karns), Luisa Barry-Hershberger, Miriah Hershberger ’20; and her greatgrandson, Otis Joo Mitchell. She is survived by a beloved sister, Janice Ruhl of Lititz, Pa. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband on Feb. 19, 2015; her brother Melvin Lehman ’59 and sister Elva Jean Miller. Dottie’s children, grandchildren, and many others have attested to the role she played in modeling how to live well. Her ability to love unconditionally reverberated through the communities where she lived. Her grandchildren say that many of their best qualities and attributes came from her, and they hope to live with her strength, enthusiasm, and grace. To say Dottie was a woman ahead of her time would be an understatement—she was a pioneer. After graduating from Hershey high school, she took her pioneering spirit to Juniata College and graduated in 1950 with a degree in education. She taught in area schools for a time yet stayed connected to Juniata as a volunteer. Eventually, she was asked to serve as Alumni & Development Director of the College. She planned the College’s Celebration of Women highlighting the valuable contributions women had made to the College and promoting the need for more focus on the valuable contributions women make in many contexts. She leveraged her connections at the College to host UN Peace Seminars at her mountain home. After she and Rex moved to Westminster Woods in Huntingdon, Pa., she was an active member of the Stone Church of the Brethren. She believed strongly in the church’s welcoming statement that claims all persons are loved and accepted by God. To broaden herself, she audited classes at Juniata College where she embraced eating organic food, hosting students over holidays, and embracing the digital era with iPhone in hand. Her passion for community building was contagious as she raised funds and recruited students for Juniata and spearheaded capital campaigns for Martinsburg’s Memorial Park and a wellness center for Homewood. Dottie was a remarkable woman who thought big and had great vision. Even though she was sometimes frustrated by the pace of change, she continued to be an agent of change who lived out her values of loving and serving others—always trying to understand people more deeply at every opportunity.