Ingeborg G. Sperling

Ingeborg Gisela Sperling, a hard-working immigrant from Germany, who built a good life for her family in America, died peacefully, Saturday, September 15th, at Saint Luke's Hospital in Toledo. She was 91 years old.

The matriarch of her family, she was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She would always end every conversation with her family members by saying, "I love you."

Ingeborg Sperling was born to Hendrick and Erna Purnhagen on February 27, 1921 in Osnabruck, Germany.

She met her future husband, Salomon Sperling, after both of them had endured the horrors of World War II. He was a holocaust survivor, who had suffered through confinement at the concentration camp at Auschwitz, where the Nazis had murdered his first wife and daughter.

After Ingeborg and Salomon were married, they decided to leave Germany. Ingeborg was pregnant, and she was determined to create a new, happier life for her family in America.

After her son, Marvin, was born, she decided to go back to Germany to get her mother, Erna.

Back in America, Ingeborg had her second child, a baby girl named Sally.

Ingeborg became a self-employed mom, way ahead of her time. She worked for Zyndorf's Bakery as a Regional Supervisor for many years, until she opened her own business, "Inge's Bakery and Delicatessen," located on Jackman Road in West Toledo. She retired from the Bakery in 1977.

But, as an expert on the art of German cooking, she dazzled people her entire life, with her vast array of mouth-watering dishes and desserts. Topping that list, were the famous "Holiday" cookies, she would bake with irrepressible determination, every single year, without fail.

She liked to tell a story about meeting two famous men, who represented polar opposites about as wide as you can get. As a child in Germany, her hand was kissed by Adolph Hitler, long before he became the infamous "Fuhrer". And, as an adult in the USA, she got to shake the hand of President Bill Clinton.

After her husband's death she meet a gentlemen named Kyriakos Lamapathakis, who owned a Baskin Robbin's Ice Cream store at Cricket West. She worked at the store until he sold it and retired. "Charles" as everyone called him, became Inge's life partner until she passed away.

Besides cooking her delicious German Food, also high on her list of favorite activities were gardening, crocheting and most of all, spending time with her family.

Ingeborg is survived by her loving and growing family, including her son Marvin, a musician, his fiancee', Wendy Harris, KNBC LA News Executive Producer, her daughter, Sally, a businesswoman, and Sally's husband, Dave Wisniewski, a respected Toledo artist. Also among her survivors is her granddaughter, Candace Pina, and Candace's husband Jose Pina, her grandson Adam, and the newest member of the family, Ingeborg's first great grandchild, Alexander Pina, age 9 months. Preceded in death by Salomon Sperling and Erna Purhagen.

A graveside memorial service will be held this Friday at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery at 11:30 A.M. 1502 West Central Ave. There will also be a celebration of Inge's life with a luncheon at UAW Local 14 on 5411 Jackman Rd. for all her friends and family after the memorial.