Baerbel "Barb" Anna Medina

Barb Medina was born into a tumultuous and frantic world in Germany in August of 1941, and she departed this world with a tumultuous mind and a frantic heart. Between those two bookends, Barb lived a long, fulfilling, and deeply meaningful life.

She was blessed with a loving and caring parents. Willy, who regaled her with countless stories and took her on mushroom-hunting treks through the woods. Unfortunately, those treks were short-lived following the Soviet occupation, which made roaming freely through the woods a dangerous proposition. Her mother, Else, was stern and loving. Both parents were, out of necessity, talented and exacting tailors making men’s suits and women’s clothing and hats. These skills were passed to Barb who made many of her own clothes. Among Barb’s prized possessions were three national swimming medals her mother won during her younger years in Germany—a gold, silver, and bronze.

About age 9 the family escaped East Germany with only the clothes they wore and a small amount of money in her father’s shoe. They left behind a loving family that Barb would not see again for 44 years. After moving thru various refugee camps they settled near Heidelberg at about age 12. It was there she met a young U.S. Army soldier whom she married and shared three children.

Devoted to Ernie, she was fiercely protective of him and loved him with all her heart throughout their life together.

Ironically, it was both her heart and her mind that allowed Barb to live such a varied and remarkable life.

Her heart was full of love. As a mother, she filled every role imaginable as the mainstay of our household: nurse; counselor; teacher; friend; disciplinarian; role model and military wife. Known for being brutally honest, we never had to wonder what Mom was thinking because she would tell you—whether you wanted to hear it or not. When it came to discipline, she was not one to make empty threats. If you were told to go outside and pick out your own switch, you knew exactly what that meant. Somehow, even her toughness was an expression of the love and responsibility she felt for her children.

Shaped by her post-war experience she drilled into her children that freedom was not something to be taken for granted but cherished and if necessary to defend at all costs.

She loved animals and couldn’t walk past one without stopping to pet it. Why she was never bitten was beyond our understanding. She also couldn’t walk past a child without commenting on how cute they were or stopping to caress them, especially in her later years. During her final months, she would sometimes walk up to complete strangers, hug them, and tell them how beautiful they were.

Her love extended far beyond her family. She volunteered as a den mother for Boy Scouts, served with the Women’s Auxiliary at the hospital, and gave her time to help those in need.

Barb’s faith was her guide. She spent hours in the Adoration Chapel and prayed every night for the people on Resurrection Parish’s prayer list as well as others. Her faith was not simply something she practiced; it was woven into the way she lived and cared for others.

Barb also had a deeply creative side. In her younger years, she explored nearly every artistic medium she could find and became a wonderful painter. Sadly, she eventually abandoned painting in her later years, but the creativity and imagination that defined her never left her.

Building on a high school education in Germany, Barb also possessed an impressive intellectual and entrepreneurial mind. She used it to study, built and run a very successful real estate business in Menominee and Marinette. To this day, I am amazed by how many people we meet who know our mom because she sold them a home, helped them find one, or simply find the right one.

Barb’s life was not defined by the circumstances into which she was born. She built a life filled with love, faith, family, creativity, service, and an incredible determination to make a difference in the lives of others.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willy and Else Dechandt; her beloved husband, Ernie; and her grandson, Brian Medina and Traute, a cousin who had been like an older sister.

She is survived by her daughter, Ingrid; her sons, Greg (Mary-Catherine) Medina and Cecil (Melanie) Medina; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Barb leaves behind far more than memories. She leaves behind the love she gave so freely, the lives she touched, and the family she built, while taking with her, her love for the savior. For those of us fortunate enough to have called her Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma, wife, or friend, her presence will remain with us always.

Barb regularly gave to Resurrection Parish in Menominee MI https://menresparish.org/ and to Dogs, Inc https://dogsinc.org/ which trains and provides guide dogs to those in need. In lieu of flowers we would ask that you either make a donation to one of this two organizations or an animal shelter of your choice.