Leona Marie Bahler

Leona Marie Bahler, 91, of Toledo, Ohio died peacefully on Monday, April 3, 2023 at UTMC, Toledo, Ohio due to complications from a stroke. She was born on August 26, 1931 in Liberty Center, Ohio to the late Karl and Ida (Buchenberg) Oberhaus. On May 2, 1954, she married the love of her life and was married for 68 years to Henry Bahler, Jr. formerly of Ridgeville Corners who survives her. She was a member of GBU and the German American Festival Society, and former member of the Bavarian Sports Club, Toledo, Ohio. She was also a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Luke’s Women’s Auxiliary, and formerly of the Low German Club Dance Group. Throughout the years, you would find Leona and Henry on the dance floor at many polka dances and festivals.

She had a diverse history of occupations. She was a live-in Nanny and housekeeper for the President of the Charles Company in Defiance. Later, she also worked in the office for the Charles Company at the Napoleon location. Then, she worked on production at Sylvania Electric in Ottawa. They were producing “Top Secret” radar tubes for the U.S. Navy. After the war, they made TV picture tubes. After her children were grown, she worked as a Teller and Auditor for Peoples Savings, and Toledo Home Federal in Toledo, Ohio.

Her craft making was outstanding. She crocheted doilies, tablecloths, afghans, Christmas tree skits, pillow covers and pot holders, all of which adorn their home. Other crafts she made are decorative Christmas stockings with detailed stitching and embellishments and beaded safety pin Christmas Trees and Christmas angels which she gave as gifts. She was also an excellent seamstress. She loved to collect seashells and sand dollars on their Florida winter vacations too.

Loving family history, she absorbed herself in genealogical research and went to Germany with her husband, Henry for one month in 1987, and again with her daughter, Bonnie, and granddaughter, Monica in 2017. She has handwritten over 2000 family names on 17’ long scrolls in a structured “family tree” format that she designed herself. She enjoyed attending family reunions annually to update the family trees.

She loved gardening, and once had a 40x50 foot garden where she and the family grew sweet corn, green beans, strawberries, potatoes, rhubarb, pumpkins and watermelon. Many of the vegetables were also canned by her. Later on, she enjoyed growing flowers.

In addition to her husband, Henry, she is survived by her daughter, Bonnie (Grant) Mason; grandchildren, Derek Mason & fiancée Kayla Petersen, Monica (Philip) Koch, and Sarah (Jansen) Deas. Sisters-in-Law: Vivian (Alfred) Oberhaus, and Ruth (Edwin) Bahler.

Besides her parents, she was also preceded in death by her son, Jerry Bahler, daughter-in-law, Linda (Bolfa) Bahler; siblings, Ida Oberhaus, Karl (Laura) Oberhaus, Jr., Alvin (Evelyn) Oberhaus, Eldor (Loris) Oberhaus, Alfred Oberhaus, Edna (Bernhard) Michaelis, Laura (Wilfred) Racker, and Alma (Albert) Meyer.

A special thank you goes to her long-term home health caregivers, Cindy G. and Jill H. of Comfort Keepers.

Visitation will be held at the Walter Funeral Home, 4653 Glendale Avenue, on Friday, April 7th from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will take place on Saturday April 8th, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 4560 Glendale Avenue beginning with visitation at 9:30 a.m. followed by the service at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at Highland Memory Gardens, Waterville, Ohio. Memorial Contributions are suggested to The Maumee Senior Center and Trinity Lutheran Church.