Barbara Irene (Krumbach) Wendt

Barbara Wendt passed away May 18, 2021 at the age of 97.

Barbara was born in Bucyrus, Ohio, June 26, 1923 to Carl and Erma (Parcel) Krumbach. After the death of her father in a train accident, Barbara and her mother moved to Sandusky where she graduated from Sandusky High School in 1941.

After high school Barbara became a secretary at the Hinde & Dauch Paper Company. After the war she and a co-worker transferred to the New York City office of Hinde & Dauch. While in New York she left H&D for CBS and became a secretary for William Paley, the founder of CBS. She often talked of seeing the radio and television stars of the day such as Jack Benny and Lucille Ball who would come in to see Mr. Paley.

 In the late 1940’s Barbara returned to Hinde & Dauch in Sandusky as a secretary to Louis Wendt, who was the corporate treasurer. In time she met Mr. Wendt’s son Gordon and they were married June 23, 1951.

Barbara adopted Gordon’s love of the water and together they took a number of trips on many of the Great Lake passenger boats and also in their Lyman.

While Gordon collected and research our local maritime history, Barbara researched and collected historical information on historic Sandusky. Along with collecting and documenting historic photographs she began in the 1950’s photographically documenting many properties in the Old Plat. Using her material, she assisted Helen Hansen with Helen’s publication of “At Home in Early Sandusky” and received the 1975 Sandusky Register Award for this work.

Barbara was a former member of the Sandusky Library Board, the Old House Guild Board, the Sunshine Society (for which she received a 2003 Woman of Excellence award), Sandusky Oakland Cemetery Board, the Downtown Waterfront Development Board, and Trinity United Methodist Church Trustee Board. Barbara was also involved in the restoration of the Sandusky State Theatre, the establishment of the Merry Go Round Museum, the restoration of the Oakland Cemetery Chapel and was Chairman of the Sandusky Library board committee that established the Follett House Museum.

Beyond her work in local organizations through the years, Barbara was an amazing mother, grandmother, great grandmother, godmother, adopted mother and aunt.  She always had the right words, right advice, and was a great role model coupled with a sharp sense of humor.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband Richard Gordon Wendt, her mother Irma Guenther, and her stepfather Herman Guenther. She is survived by her daughter Teri Akin of Seattle and Teri’s children John (Katie) and Annie, John’s three daughters Eleanor, Frances, and Olive and her adopted Sandusky family James O. and Martha Miller and their daughters Alexis and Allyson.

Services will be held 11:00 AM Wednesday May 26th at the Oakland Cemetery Chapel with the Reverend Barbara Stephens-Rich officiating.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church or the Sandusky Maritime Museum.

Pfeil Funeral Home, Sandusky Chapel, 617 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky is entrusted with arrangements.

Condolences may be shared with the family at pfeilfuneralhome.com.

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