Helen Barna

Helen Barna, 98, passed early Thursday morning December 17, 2020 at Vista Veranda Memory Care. Born in Edinburg, Ohio on March 12, 1922 to Russian Czechoslovakian immigrants, Amel and Helen (Kuba)  Bobby. She was part of the Greatest Generation and endured the hardships of the Great Depression. She graduated from Edinburg Township School and at the end of WWII, she married decorated war veteran, Staff Sargent Donald L. Forner in 1947. They established a home in Ravenna and had two children. Widowed in  1970, she worked at Evenflo on Freedom Street. Helen was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary at VFW post #1055 and met a widower, WWII veteran Joseph Barna from Akron and they married in 1979. She was a member of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. Helen loved her garden and flowers, made delicious raspberry jam, crocheted and push mowed her lawn until she was in her mid eighties. Helen is survived by her son Don (Barrie) of Ravenna  and daughter Tanya (Rick) of Cleveland  Texas. Grandsons Judson (Nicole) of Broadview Heights and Chad (Jennifer ) of Medina, great grand children  Faith and Lance, Step daughter Elaine (Roger) Davidson of Akron and Step son Ted ( Kelly Denny) Barna of Suffield, one sister, Sue ( Sam ) Janka of Ravenna and many nieces and nephews. Helen was preceded in death by husbands Donald and Joseph,  brothers John Maydak, Pete Bobby, Sisters Ann Dubinsky, Mary Kuyon, Olga Ringley, Irene Kovak and her goddaughter Agnes Moskal Bailey. We would especially  like to thank her hospice nurse , Pam Sweitzer and Homestead Hospice  and the staff at Vista Veranda. Viewing will be held at Shorts Spicer Crislip Funeral Home Ravenna Chapel on Monday, December 28, 2020 from 10 AM to 11 AM with funeral services at 11 AM. Internment will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Ravenna. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Helen's name  could be made to :  Homestead Hospice,  577 Grant St. Akron, Ohio 44311 or Alzheimer's Association, Greater East Ohio Area Chapter, P. O. Box 96011, Washington D.C. 20090-6011.