Merrill Arthur Hornberger, 84, a resident of Penn Lutheran Village Nursing Home, Selinsgrove, and formerly of Richfield RR 1, died at 9:05 pm Sunday, October 17, 1999, at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.
Born Dec 2, 1914, in Richfield RR 1, he was a son of the late Henry Snyder and Jennie Susannah (Graybill)Hornberger. His first wife, Olive Elizabeth (Leitzel) Hornberger, whom he married June 10, 1942, died Jan 9, 1962. His second wife, Ella Mae (Fogelman) Hornberger, whom he married March 28, 1964, died Aug 16, 1986.
Surviving are: children, Dale M Hornberger, HCR 72, Richfield, Terry E Hornberger, Middleburg, Neil A Hornberger, Richfield RR 1, and Mrs Mardean (Sheree L) Howell, Mount Pleasant Mills RR 2; sisters, H Marie House and Ferne Snyder, both of Richfield RR 1, and Faye Smith, RiverWoods, Lewisburg; 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Darlene J Snyder, in 1984; two brothers, John Graybill Hornberger in 1987, and Herbert Hornberger in 1998; a half-brother, Dewey Hornberger; three sisters, Erma Hart, Iva Brown in 1994, and C Violet Carvell; and a half-sister, Ella Renninger.
He was educated at Stahl's Grammar Schoolhouse in West Perry Township, Snyder County, and was a 1932 graduate of Freeburg Academy.
He entered the US Army in 1942 and was a veteran of World War II, having served in the European Theatre of Operations. He was captured in Africa and moved to Germany, where he was held in a camp for prisoners of war. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
He worked as a skilled machine operator at Triangle Pacific Corp, Thompsontown, from 1966 until his retirement in 1979. Earlier, he had been employed by Olmstead Air Force Base, Middletown, as an instrument repairman from 1946 until its closure.
He was also engaged in farming and had worked for the Walter Stuck and Harry Stuck Lumber Yard, Richfield, as a truck driver.
He was a member of Richfield United Methodist Church and its Sunday school senior men's class, and he had served on the administrative board, the church council and the Sunday school superintendent for more than 20 years.
He was also a member of Richfield Ambulance League and Fire Company; the Area Services Ambulance Company of Shamokin Dam; the Mahantango Grange of Richfield, where he was a charter member; the Richfield Sportsmens Association; the American Association of Retired Pensions; and the West Perry Township Election Board, Judge of Elections.
He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, and woodworking.
Services will be held at 11 am Wednesday at Richfield United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Dr. Almon D Baird officiating. Interment will be in Richfield's Union Cemetery.
Family will receive friends from 7-9 pm today at the George P Garman Funeral Home, Mount Pleasant Mills.
Memorial contributions may be made to: the Richfield United Methodists Church, PO Box 206, Richfield, PA 17086.