Obituary of Donald Warren Herb

Reverend Dr. Donald Warren Herb died Sunday, December 30, at Brookshire Nursing Center in Hillsborough, NC with his loving wife, Margaret (Marge) and family at his side. 

Don was born in Reading, Pa. on March 23, 1923, the only son of Peter Paul and Marguerite Angstadt Herb. He grew up as an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church Adamstown, Pa. After graduating from Springfield Township High School, Don entered Gettysburg College. When he was not studying, Don was a volunteer battlefield guide. He earned his degree in 1944, then entered the Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. In his desire to serve in the military, he transferred to the V-12 program at the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia. Once graduated, Don made two significant changes to his life: he married Nancy Miner then deployed to serve as a chaplain in the US Navy, serving in the South Pacific. Upon his discharge, Don and Nancy relocated to Lancaster, PA where he became pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church.

In 1950 Don and the family moved to NYC where he became Campus Pastor and Executive Secretary of the Lutheran Student Foundation of Greater New York based at Columbia University. He then transferred to Michigan State University where he served as Campus Pastor at University Lutheran Church in East Lansing. In 1962, Don moved to Chapel Hill, NC to serve as Southeastern Regional Secretary for Campus Ministry. In 1966 Don and Nancy returned to Gettysburg where Don became an associate professor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. His career then took him back to New York City where he became the Executive Director for Education at the Lutheran Council, USA. After decades of work in Campus Ministry, Don decided to return to pastoral duties and therefore relocated to Lindenhurst, New York to become pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church, a position he held until retiring in 1987. After relocating once more, this time to Tobaccoville, NC, and even though he was “retired” Don became interim pastor for five ELCA churches in NC. Nancy died in 2013 and two years later, Don married Margaret Freiman, which brought two loving families together.

In addition to his lifelong Liturgical studies, Don enjoyed his hobbies of computers, trains, civil war history, and photography.

He was predeceased by his first wife Nancy Miner Herb and his sister Edna Rae Kerfoot.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Freiman Herb, his children Sandra (Ransom) Averitt, Paul (Joanne) Herb, Peter (Cindy) Herb, grandsons Joseph (Susan) Morris and Ransom (Dr. Dayna Loyd) Averitt, great-grandchildren Hailey and Hannah Averitt; Stephanie and Ray Hall and their children Brandie (Brandon) Rhodes and Cody (Kayla) Hall, great-granddaughters Riley and Reece Rhodes; Dr. Paul (Debra) Freiman, Dr. Katherine (Neal) Freiman-Fox and son Grant, Barbara (Neil) Stutzer and daughter Amy and John Freiman.

Services were held on Saturday January 5, 2019 at 10:30 am at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, NC followed by a reception. Burial followed at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Rural Hall, NC.

The Herb family is under the care of Walker's Funeral Home of Hillsborough.