Hershberger was born in Xenia and attended Xenia High School where she was involved in sports and worked part time at a drug store owned by Robert Ulrich of Centerville.
“I don’t like surprises, so when I was 14 and walking down the hall at school I was wondering what I would do when I graduated, and it just came to me that I would become a barber,” said Hershberger, who had fond memories of visiting Red Milburn’s barber shop in Xenia with her father. “I thought it must have come from God, because there weren’t women barbers back then.”
After graduating from Xenia High School on May 26, 1965, Hershberger had a week off before starting her education at the Dayton Barber College, which was located in Dayton, but has since moved to Miami Twp. Hershberger attended the college six days a week for nine months and then passed a state board before beginning an 18- month apprenticeship. After passing a second state-sponsored test, Hershberger earned the title of master barber.
“We had our regulars lined up for their cuts on Saturdays,” said Hershberger, of her clients at Colonial Court Barbers where she worked after graduating from college. “A lot of people were farmers, but they were all so wonderful. I got people ready for every important thing in life like weddings, graduations, proms and even first hair cuts.”
A recent client was a 1-year old boy having his first hair cut as his great-grandfather, grandfather and father, who were all Hershberger clients, watched.
After she got married, Hershberger worked part time while raising her four children who include: Julie Dabbelt, who has three children, works as a nurse and is married to Joe Dabbelt, a Dayton Barber College graduate who works at Normandy Square Barbers; Dan Rohler, who works for Express and lives in Columbus with his wife, Nicole and six children; Nick Rohler, who lives in Bellbrook with his wife, Sherry, and their three children; and Amy Carroll who has three children and is married to Charlie Carroll, pastor of The Northgate Church in Dayton.
In 1981, Hershberger returned to work part time at Colonial Court Barbers, but began working six days a week following the end of her marriage.
“I needed to support my children, so I worked three days in Centerville and then worked another three days a week in Xenia at my own shop, Xenia Barber Service,” said Hershberger, who closed her business in 1984, and worked six days a week in Centerville.
“In 1991, after Jack Murphy died, I opened Normandy Square Barbers with Tom Bennett, who retired in 2001 and Dieter Roeder, who died March 3 of this year. Before Dieter passed away, there were 275 years of barber experience in this shop.”
Meanwhile, Hershberger’s personal life also changed when she married Wayne Hershberger in 1987. Together, the couple has nine children, 25 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Hershberger uses clippers and a vacuum system in the shop, so that hair is quickly disposed of and clients do not walk away with fine pieces of hair clinging to their clothes. Hershberger maintains a family atmosphere in the shop and besides barbers, Jerry Barrett, Cheri Bates and Rasario Belton, she also has two nieces working there: Christie Mays and Lorrie Webster.
“Someone from the Dayton Barber College came and took a photo of us next to the barber pole, because six of our seven barbers graduated from there,” said Hershberger, who emphasizes that only licensed barber shops are allowed to display the barber pole.
“I’m blessed, because without a doubt, I have the best barbers in Ohio.”
Contact this columnist at (937) 432-9054 or jjbaer@aol.com.
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