Obituary of Aretta Hershberger

A funeral service celebrating the life of Aretta Benfield Godbey Hershberger, 76, of Columbia will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 4, 2011 in Greenlawn Funeral Home Chapel with interment to follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until the hour of the service on Friday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the VFW, Post 641, 534 South Beltline Blvd, Columbia, SC 29205 or the Order of the Eastern Star, Shandon Lodge #193, 315 South Maple Street, Columbia, SC 29205 in Aretta?s memory. On-line condolences may be sent to www.greenlawnmemorialparkandfh.com. The family has entrusted Greenlawn Funeral Home with the arrangements Mrs. Hershberger departed this earthly life on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at her residence surrounded by her loving family. She was born on October 9, 1934 in Statesville, North Carolina to the late George Aaron and Mable Gilbert Benfield. Aretta attended Harmony Grammar, Cool Springs High School and Mitchell Junior College in Statesville, NC. She was graduated from USC School of Business, Columbia, SC in 1983. Mrs. Hershberger has been a residence of Columbia, SC since 1974. She retired from the former Tamper Corporation (Harsco Rail) and Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital. Aretta?s fraternal and professional organizations included, Certified member of International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) holding numerous offices, Certified Professional Secretary and a past Secretary for the Department of SC Ladies Auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Past President VFW Auxiliary of Post 641 in Columbia, SC; very involved member of the Order of the Eastern Star serving as Past & Present Worthy Matron of Shandon Chapter #193. Aretta believed in being active in the church of the community in which she resided. She would often worship and fellowship with North Trenholm Baptist Church, Pine Lakes Baptist Church, Redbank Baptist Church, and Lake Murray Baptist Church in which she had many friends within them all. Surviving are her loving and devoted husband, Gary Carson Hershberger; children, Leonard Allen Godbey, Jr. (Cindy) of Grain Valley, MO, Marshall Ray Godbey (Lisa Montell) of Granite Bay, CA, Vernon Hershberger (Barbara) of Lewiston, ID, Sheryl H. Wood of West Columbia, SC, Roxanne Jeffcoat (Alvin) of Lexington, SC, Robin Jenkins of Lexington, SC and Bonnie Adams of Gaston, SC; grandchildren, Jessica Godbey Habelitz, Deborah Godbey Morgan, Adam Godbey, Ryan Dohrn, Brandon & Nicole Hershberger, Shawn Brown, Bryan Brown, Crystal Torres (Brandon), Jessica Jenkins, Miranda Jenkins, Brent Jeffcoat (Jennifer) and Jared Jeffcoat; great-grandchildren, Brittany and Megan Habelitz, Stephanie Habelitz, Sierra Morgan, Tyler and Brianna Torres, Zachary Jenkins, Madison Brown, Baylee Brown and Brady Jeffcoat; siblings, Pauline Benfield, Shirley Benfield and Kenneth Ray Benfield; nieces and nephews, Darlene Falbo, Hayley Corley (Troy), Jennifer Cartwright (Phillip), Katrina Onan, Walter Benfield (Crystal) and Brandy B. Scarborough; and a host of other loving relatives and friends that will miss her dearly. Mrs. Hershberger was predeceased by her brother, George Aaron Benfield, Jr., her paternal grandparents, Garland Webster & Jane Turner Benfield and her maternal grandmother, Ada Hodges Gilbert Miller. Aretta was extremely proud of all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all of their accomplishments and she truly loved them with all of her heart.