Barbara Ann Hertel Obituary

Barbara Ann Ernst Hertel of Winnetka, Illinois passed away on September 27, 2024, surrounded by members of her family. She was 92.

She was born to the late Walter Shaffer and Veta May Stockdale Ernst on November 9, 1931 in Cowan, Tennessee. She graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tennessee.

Barbara Ann married James Gordon Hertel on September 2, 1952. They moved to Baltimore, Maryland immediately after the ceremony where they lived for several years before relocating to Massachusetts. They subsequently moved to Kingsport, Tennessee and, briefly, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before leaving to live with their youngest daughter in Winnetka, Illinois. Barbara Ann is survived by four children: Kathryn Lynn (Philip Kerle), of London, United Kingdom; James Gordon (Melanie Hauck), of Evanston, Illinois; Anne Carole (Laurence Witort), of Glenview, Illinois; and Kristen Hayler (Muneer Satter), of Winnetka, Illinois. She is also survived by fourteen grandchildren.

Barbara Ann was an enthusiastic pianist and could often be found seated before the keyboard in the afternoons, sounding out a chord. She also loved flowers and adored sitting on the back steps sunning her legs, breathing in the scent of the blooms. She delighted in watching birds and enticed the local avian population with a bird feeder brimming with birdseed. She was an avid reader and always had a book in progress. Barbara Ann and Gordon enjoyed social dancing and in their later years spent many evenings gliding on the dance floor. She was a wonderful wife and devoted mother. As she herself often said, all she wanted was for her children to be happy.

A service celebrating her life will be held on November 23, 2024 from 1:00pm-3:00pm at Mallinckrodt Community Center, 1041A Ridge Road, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091.