J. Kenneth Hershey, age 81 of Willow Street, passed away at the Lancaster General Hospital on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.  He was the husband of JoAnne Campbell Hershey with whom he would have celebrated 60 years of marriage on November 7th.  He was born in Lancaster, son of the late Raymond C. & Mabel Leaman Hershey.  He graduated from Lancaster Mennonite High School class of 1961 and then took classes at Eastern Mennonite University and Lancaster Bible College.  For the Hershey's first 25 years of marriage they farmed the Hershey home farm in Kinzers and then moved to Willow Street.  Ken served as Pastor at New Providence Mennonite Church from 1993-2005 and then Mechanic Grove Mennonite Church from 2005-2022.  Also during this time Ken worked for Hoober Feeds of Gordonville as a salesman retiring in 2023.  He enjoyed playing softball, watching football and loved singing.  Surviving besides his wife are 3 children:  Regina wife of Patrick Hartsfield of Bucks County, Steven husband of Jennifer Ulrich Hershey of Quarryville, Jenelle wife of Roy Gerlach of Strasburg, 9 grandchildren: Hannah, Seth & Luke Hartsfield, Alison, Shaun, Michelle, Nicole, Benjamin & Daniel Hershey and 2 great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by a grandson Joshua Wren Hershey and a brother J. Mervin Hershey.

Funeral service will take place at the Hershey Mennonite Church, 401 Hershey Church Road, Kinzers, PA, on Friday, June 7th at 11 a.m., with Pastor Wayne Kreider officiating.  Interment will be in the adjoining church cemetery.  There will be a viewing at the church on Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. and again on Friday from 10 a.m. until time of service.