Helen Lavina Birr

Helen Lavina (Schober). Birr, 91, of Toledo, returned home to the Lord on December 17, 2017, while residing at Parkcliffe Community. She was born April 26, 1926 in her parents farmhouse. Helen worked very hard from a very young age growing up on a farm. Yet she and her sisters and brother always created fun times too. Helen entered nurses training during WWII at Flower Hospital. During training she was a member of the Cadet Corp of Nurses. One of her patients asked Helen to write letters for her to send to her husband overseas. Through him, Helen began correspondence with her patients brother-in law, (also overseas in the Navy) and eventually that sailor became her husband. Helen worked as a registered nurse at Flower and St. Vincent Hospitals upon her graduation. She also worked at the Lucas County Home for the Aged and retired from the American Red Cross, Blood Services Division in 1988. After retiring she continued volunteering with the Red Cross blood drives and at her Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran on Glendale. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, George and Thelma Schober, her husband Robert L. Birr, infant daughter Diane, grandsons Jeremy and Benjamin Steinman, and sisters Ruth Griffith and Ila Davison. She is survived by her sister Jane Sibbersen; brother Lee (Ellie) Schober, Brother-in-law William (Kathy) Birr; sister-in-law Mary Marsh; sons Tim (Susie) Birr, David (Susan) Birr and daughter Charlotte (William) Steinman; grandchildren Jeff (Crystal), Nathaniel (Jessica), Rachel (Julio), Melissa (John), Erin (Fernando), Courtney and great-grandchildren Hailey, Damien, Madison, Hanna, Jack, Grace, Peter, Michael, Charlotte and one on the way. Visitation will be held Tuesday, December 19th at the Walter Funeral Home, 4653 Glendale Avenue, Toledo, from 2 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will begin on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1825 Glendale Avenue. Burial will follow in Toledo Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to Camp Luther, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Ohio Living Hospice or the Parkcliffe Community. Please leave online condolences for the family at walterfuneralhome.com or on our Facebook page.