Barbara Giezentaner, Wife and Mother, Worked Throughout Saline, Published Book

Barbara Ann Giezentaner, age 75, of Saline, Michigan, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at her home. Barbara was born in Buffalo, New York, on December 12, 1949, to the late Carol Marie (Holmes) and Burdette Howlett Hawks Jr. 

On January 25, 1969, Barbara married Richard Giezentaner. After she and Rick moved to Saline in 1975, Barbara became a lifelong member of St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church; she was a devoted Catholic and loved her church. Prior to having children, Barbara worked at the Livonia Big Boy, where she met her future husband Richard, and at Aetna Insurance. 

She nurtured her children at home until they were school age, and then returned to work at the Saline Community Hospital & Evangelical Home, the Ann Arbor Bank, the Girls Scouts of the Huron Valley Council, with her husband at their business Total Type & Graphics, at H&R Block, and then independently as a tax preparer, and finally at the Saline Library, which involved one of her great interests, books and reading. In her spare time, Barbara became a genealogist and traced the lineage of the Hawks, Holmes and Giezentaner families which led to many research trips to Indiana, New York, Canada and England. Based on her research, Barbara published a book of her great-grandmother’s letters to her great-grandfather before they were married. Barbara loved to play card games and board games with her family, especially Scrabble and Rummikub. She attended many flea markets, garage sales and estate sales in search of Hall teapots, iris and herringbone glassware, and Magnalite and cast iron cookware.

In recent years, Barbara lovingly cared for her mother until she passed away in March 2025. Since that time, Barbara had made many plans for returning to the interests she set aside while caring for her mother, including “tent on wheels” camping with her husband as they traveled around the United States. At the time of her death, she had a stack of books on all facets of camping sitting on her kitchen table, as well as printed and handwritten notes regarding the proper care of cast iron by her computer.

Barbara is survived by her husband Richard Giezentaner; daughter Laura (Stephen) Sommerschield of Colorado, and son Matthew (Susannah) Giezentaner of California; her grandchildren Samuel, Peter and Rachel Sommerschield, and Hope and Benjamin Giezentaner; her siblings Patricia (Scot) Matheson, Sandra (Arthur) DeLeon, Robert (Marta) Hawks, Cynthia (Charles) Nichol, Steven Hawks, and Christina (Paul) McBride; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by Chester and Margaret Giezentaner, and her sister Linda (Ted) Holz.

Friends may join the family for a time of visitation on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Saline. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. with Fr. John Linden as Celebrant. Following the Mass, inurnment will take place in the St. Andrew Church Columbarium. A luncheon will also be held following the service and will be held at the Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Barbara’s name may be made to St. Andrew Catholic Church and envelopes will be available at the service. To leave a memory you have of Barbara, to sign her online guestbook or for directions please visit www.rbfhsaline.com

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