Barbara was born to Dr. Elmer and Frieda (Thieroff) Schroeder on June 12, 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following the birth of her brother, Robert, the family relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where her father was a chemist at Searle, Inc. After high school, Barbara completed a year of training at Kathryn Gibbs Secretarial School. Wearing high heels and a hat, she took the elevated train downtown each day for her work as a legal secretary.
In 1956 Barbara went on a vacation with a girlfriend to Windsor, Ontario. Going to a Lutheran church on Sunday morning, she crossed paths with a young vicar interning from Petoskey, Michigan. Love was immediate; two years later she and Henry Behling were married. They began their life together in Victoria, British Columbia, where they founded two churches and had their first three daughters, Anne, Karen, and Valerie.
In 1965 Barbara and Henry packed the car with their belongings and babies (all sick with chickenpox) and drove through the January weather to southwest Minnesota, near Worthington. There Barbara played organ, sang, and directed the choirs for two congregations, St. Paul’s and Our Redeemer. Here they grew their family by two more daughters, Emily and Victoria.
In 1989 Barbara and Henry’s life journey called them to serve in another church, this time in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Barbara again played the organ while both singing in and directing the choir for Faith Lutheran.
Barbara is survived by her brother, Robert Schroeder of Florida, and greatly missed by husband Henry; daughters Anne (Jeff) Stuhr and Karen (Jon) Beyer of Hot Springs; Valerie (Bruce) Timm of Sauk Center, MN; Emily (Phil) Rogers of Reedsburg, WI; and Victoria (Mark) Weber of Bloomington, MN; sixteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
A service to celebrate Barbara’s life and God’s unfailing grace will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, Hot Springs Village, on Wednesday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m., with Reverend Bob Benke officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service.
Interment will immediately follow at Cedarvale Cemetery.
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