Barbara Ann Henze (Struemph)

Barbara Ann Henze (Struemph), 83, passed away May 4, 2021. She was preceded in death by her parents and one grandchild. Barbara is survived by her husband of 60 years, Robert J Henze, and their children Michelle (Jeff), Jeanette (Joe), and Michael, and siblings Marion, Georgia, Daniel (Suzanne), and Robert (Mary Katherine). She was the proud grandmother of Joshua, Meredith, Hilary, Jessica, Emily, Justin, Hannah, Joel, Harrison, and Jordan, and the great grandmother of David, Zoey, Alexis, William, Henze, Greyson, Lucas, Lincoln, and Dale.

Barbara was born in New York in 1937 and moved to Missouri when she was 4. She grew up on the family dairy farms in Freeburg and Vienna. After her high school graduation, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet at the Mother House in St. Louis but realized that she had another path in life. She attended the College of St. Teresa (Avila) in Kansas City and met a blue eyed Rockhurst student on a blind date. Robert and Barbara were married a few months after their college commencements and started a family. Barbara was busy as a homemaker raising 3 children, but her love of the arts and devout Catholicism was always present in her life. She enjoyed the performing and fine arts, crafts, flowers, St. Mark Catholic Church, literature, delicious family meals, traveling with Robert, and the grandchildren and great grandchildren that came into her life. She mourned the year that she lost interacting with her family due to the current pandemic. To the very end she was still dazzled by the smile of Robert.

We will miss her love, her humor, her joy in the beauty of nature, her passion for social justice, her creativity, her unrelenting faith in the goodness of God, and the deep unconditional love she had for all family members.
There is another star in the heavens and we are comforted by the knowledge that she is twinkling down on us.

A visitation will be held on Monday, May 10, from 10-11:00 a.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:00 a.m., both at St. Mark Catholic Church, 3736 S Lee's Summit Rd, Independence, MO 64055.

In Barbara’s honor, the family has suggested contributions to be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet at, 6400 Minnesota Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63111.

She will be laid to rest at Mt. Olivet Mausoleum in Raytown, MO. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600).