Hans E. Barth

Hans E. Barth, 91, passed away on August 31st, 2025, of complications from COPD. Hans was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in 1933 and was one of three siblings. He is preceded in his journey to heaven by his wife, Edith, mother, Anna Lena, father, Adolf, brother, Karl Heinz, sister, Eleanor Margarete (Margie), Niece, Mary Ann and niece, Amanda. Hans came to the United States in 1954 after living through some of the post-World War 2 chaos in Frankfurt am Main, seeking a better life and in 1960 married Edith Barth (Roehl) in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. They have been married for 65 years. After Hans immigrated to the United States, he lived with his sister Margie and her husband Raymond Blake in Sheboygan, WI. He travelled to the USA by steamship, the TSS Neptunia, and unknowingly met Edith’s aunt Elli and her husband Kurt Schenk on the voyage. As it turns out, Elli and Kurt ended up living on the same block in Sheboygan as did Margie and Raymond. Just a few years later, he met the niece of Elli and Kurt, Edith, who was new to the area, and he would tour around Sheboygan with her in his car and a romance blossomed. Prior to this, Elli and Kurt showed him her picture, and he offered to pay for her trip to the USA in 1959 so he could meet her. Hans is an Army Veteran. He was drafted into the Army, which was customary at the time, and was ironically stationed and served from his hometown of Frankfurt, Germany for the length of his service, 1956-1958. In the Army he served as a cook, translator and mechanic and was awarded “sharpshooter” designation. Hans is a retired Rural Route Letter Carrier with the United States Post Office and before taking that position was a Motel Owner/Operator, Tavern Owner, Plant Superintendent at the packaging machine company, Pemmco, in Sheboygan, WI and in his youth completed his apprenticeship as an electrician. Hans will be remembered for his Love, sacrifice for family and his ability to fix practically anything. Hans liked to tinker with things and with his wide selection of tools acquired through the years, he could fix practically anything. He fixed appliances, gadgets and practically anything with moving parts. He later used these skills to help his only grandson fix small trains, create wooden Halloween decoration frames and assembling swing sets, to mention just a few. While there were times through the years when gadgets were disassembled on the kitchen table for a few days at a time, like the vacuum cleaner for example, his wife Edith helped keep him “on track” to finish the repair, assemble the parts and get the table cleared off and ready for mealtimes again. His wife Edith was good about keeping him “on track” throughout their lives together. In a time before it was called a side gig, he wired houses as a side job to earn extra income. He was also very flexible and was patient when family plans suddenly and spontaneously changed. An afternoon at the park could suddenly change to painting the living room or rearranging the furniture or tilling half the backyard for a new garden. (He “loved” that when it happened…). Hans loved music and was patient with Edith’s love for it and he was never jealous of her affinity for Tom Jones. While he might not have always sang along with everything Edith played, he enjoyed music a lot. He gladly attended Civic Symphony performances, church service music at Faith Lutheran Church, of which he is a member, whenever his daughter Karin sings, and anything performed by his grandson, Nathan Barth. His favorite hymn is "Precious Lord take my hand”. In addition to travel and big family vacations across the US, Hans loved his many pets, who he will be joining with in heaven, Cleo, Sadie, Lucky, Buddy, Daisy and Prince. His life had many obstacles, like bladder cancer and seeing those around him pass away, and his faith carried him through those times. Hans often said that in troubled times, it didn’t test his faith or make him question it, but rather he would lean in and let his faith carry the burdens he could not, and it strengthened him. He also had many exciting times and triumphs, like the time he made it through a very bad snowstorm coming back from his Honeymoon with Edith in Florida in January, the birth and raising of his children Karin (Annette) and Jeff Barth, a chance to travel in the Holy Land, Spain and in 2006 to meet his Grandson, for example. Hans has been to Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Greece, Mexico, Canada, and, of course, Germany. Hans is survived by his daughter Annette (Karin), his son Jeff, his daughter-in-law Laura, his grandson Nathan, his brother-in-law Guenter, sister- in- Law Doris, nephew Steve Blake and many nieces and nephews around the world. Hans sacrificed throughout his life to make sure his family had what they needed and was there willingly for the community around him. In his last moments, it’s not unlikely that he was reaching out to the Lord asking, “Lead me on to the light: Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home".

Family and friends may gather on Friday, September 12, 2025 at Faith Lutheran Church, 2335 S. Webster Ave., Green Bay, from 9:30am until 10:45am with a funeral ceremony at 11:00am with Re. Joshua Errer officiating. Burial of cremains will be in Nicolet Memorial Gardens in Green Bay, WI.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a memorial fund through Faith Lutheran Church in Hans’ name.

Live-Übertragung (einer) Beerdigung

Livestream of Funeral:

September 12, 2025,

11am central time:

flcgb.com

scroll down to the online worship service, scroll down to the livestream link, click on that.

Also, on Facebook Faith Lutheran Church Green Bay.