Barbara "Barb" L. Hagy

Barbara “Barb” Louise Hagy, 86, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Saturday, March 2, 2019. She was born to the late Frederick and Eva (Wagner) Schroeder in Defiance, OH on April 5, 1932, the third of six children.

Barb is survived by her son, Michael, and her daughter, Sandra; her sister Dorothy “Dottie” Baker; her grandchildren Kristi, Nicole, Heather, Hannah and Harrison; great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces. Along with her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Virgil I. Hagy; her brothers, Frederick, Robert and Richard and her sister, Elizabeth Spyker.

Barb was raised on a farm near Defiance, OH. She applied herself at school and was an excellent student, winning many awards and graduating as valedictorian of her Senior Class in 1950. While at school she also developed a love for music which remained with her all through her life. She was an accomplished pianist and played at many weddings. She also used her talent on the piano to play in the orchestra at Holt, MI during assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

She married Virgil Hagy on June 26, 1953. Barb was known for her love of family and her nurturing spirit. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren. That same spirit was extended to many others, especially children, during her life. She will be remembered for her kindness, hospitality, and generosity. She had a sense of adventure as she liked to travel and was also able to attend International Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She also liked to fly planes.

Her life was filled with many accomplishments but Barb would say that her greatest accomplishment was the many years of faithful service to Jehovah God, to whom she dedicated her life on August 21, 1948. Nothing brought her greater joy than to be out in the ministry work assisting her Bible students in any way she could to learn to love Jehovah as much as she did. One of those students recalled that there were times that she hid from Barb when she did not want to study, after Barb had driven several miles in her VW Beetle accompanied by her two small children for the study appointment. But Barb did not give up on her and continued to come and the student admired her tenacity and later did not miss her studies. As this student progressed she faced some opposition from her husband who would not allow her to use the family car to attend meetings. Again Barb drove many miles round trip twice to pick her up and take her home from meetings until the student’s situation got better. Other family members came into the truth, and the student recalls with deepest gratitude all the efforts that Barb made on her behalf. There are many who feel the same way.

Her love for Jehovah and her zeal for the ministry never diminished. She was able to serve as a full time minister for a while and attended the Pioneer Service School in 2009. Even as her health deteriorated she participated in the ministry as much as she could and was happy to spend long days talking to others about the Bible. When her health got to the point where she could no longer spend time in the ministry, her attention was still focused on spiritual things. She loved to watch JW Broadcasting and listening to the Kingdom melodies she used to play. She also enjoyed listening to the original songs, “Just Around the Corner” being her favorite one. She was a member of the Edgewood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years. She will be truly missed by her family and many friends.

Funeral service will be on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 1:00 pm with visitation one hour prior at D.O. McComb and Sons Funeral Home – Covington Knolls (8325 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804). Visitation will also be Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at the funeral home from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Burial will follow at Sherman Cemetery in Oakwood, OH.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall of Fort Wayne, IN or the Kingdom Hall of Antwerp, OH.