Barbara Heine was born in Germany during World War 2. She grew up in a country that was decimated by that conflict. She said that as a young girl, she never had any toys or much to eat due to widespread poverty. Barbara had a twin sister named Karin. They were always together, but tragically, Karin died of cancer at the age of 14. Her death was a severe blow to Barbara which haunted her throughout her life.
One thing that Barbara stated repeatedly was that as a young person, she realized that she needed a good education if she was to escape the hardships of her life. Barbara worked and used her earnings to attend English and secretarial classes. She was able to act as a translator for several companies in Germany and earned enough money to travel to many places in the world.
Barbara met and married James Hynson who was a civilian Army staff member working in Germany. They moved to the U.S. where they retired and eventually came to live in the On Top of the World Community where they spent a number of happy years. Sadly, James developed Alzheimer’s disease and needed a lot of help. Barbara was there to care for him until his death.
During the next chapter of her life, Barbara was active in several of the clubs at On Top of the World. She proofread for the newspaper, acted in the Theater Workshop group, and was a member of the Lambda Club. Barbara will be missed by all those whose lives she touched.
David Beaven
September 14, 2024, 5:41 pm
I was so glad to get to know Barbara. She was a caring person, and I learned a lot from her over the years. I will never forget her. Rest in peace, Barbara.