Shreve Community Mourns Longtime Businessman and Trucker Merv Hershberger

Merv Hershberger, known to friends and neighbors as Merv, died at his Shreve home on December 3, 2025. He was 84. Born January 1, 1941 in Holmes County to Eli E. and Sarah Mullet Hershberger, he spent his early years working on area farms before moving into construction and automotive work. He married Mickie McGrady on October 14, 1966, and the couple were married for 59 years.

Hershberger worked for Walter Jones Construction hauling heavy equipment, and later at Shreve Mobil where he drove the wrecker. He opened the Parts Store in Shreve and eventually launched his own business, Merv's Trucking. Those roles made him a familiar presence on county roads and in local garages for decades. The local obituary lists survivors and provides details of services.

Beyond the personal history, Hershberger's life and passing underscore broader community concerns. Rural Holmes County, like many counties, faces an aging population and limited access to home based medical and support services. A death at home following a period of declining health points to the vital role of family caregivers, local clinics, and home health providers, and to gaps that can leave households struggling for consistent care. Longtime small business owners such as Hershberger also provide informal supports to neighbors through transportation, equipment services, and steady local employment, services that become harder to replace as proprietors retire or pass away.

For residents, the loss means more than the absence of a neighbor. It raises questions about continuity of local services, availability of reliable towing and trucking for farm and small business needs, and the capacity of community networks to support older adults who prefer to age at home. Policymakers and health providers in the region continue to confront workforce shortages and funding limits for home and community based services that affect how families manage end of life and chronic care.

Hershberger's decades of work embodied a rural work ethic and close community ties. As Holmes County mourns, his story may prompt local leaders to reassess supports for aging residents and the small businesses that sustain daily life in the county.