Julius O. Barth

Julius Oskar Barth, 79, a 34-year resident of Middlebury, Indiana, died unexpectedly in his home Wednesday morning, July 31, while awaiting a ride to the airport to attend his eldest son’s wedding in Long Beach, California. While he had a heart condition, Julius had been in stable health in recent months.
He was born July 6, 1934, in the Sudetanland region of Germany to Julius and Irma (Görg) Barth. He remained a citizen of Germany throughout his life, even though he immigrated to America in October 1963.
He is survived by his wife of forty-one years, Julienne (Frank) Barth, and their children Connie (Sidney) Dew of Middlebury, Rudiger (Katherine) Barth of Long Beach, Ca., Thomas (Melissa) Barth of Middlebury, Matthew (Michelle) Krueger of Mansfield, Mo., Bruce Krueger of Middlebury, Christopher (Frances) Barth of Goshen, and Julienne Martha Barth of Santa Fe, N.M. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Stephanie (John) King, Jennifer Welcher, Thomas and Hunter Barth, Hannah Barth, Zoë and Evelyn Barth, Matthew David, Justine, Lily, and Gunther Krueger.
Also surviving are his sisters Irma Peters of Löchnitz, Germany and Christl (Manfred) Schmidt of Fürstenwald, Germany and 40 other cherished relatives in Germany. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Martha.
Julius earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in East Germany. There, he led a team of research chemists until, with the help of the American government, he escaped from Communism in 1961 after being hired by the Hoechst Corporation in Wiesbaden, in free West Germany. Two years later, he immigrated to Illinois, where he transferred into sales at Permalux Co., after inventing and patenting the firm’s premier pressure-sensitive vinyl signage product , Process 40™.
In 1979, he moved to Indiana, forming his own company, Julius Barth & Associates, Inc. , which he and his wife owned from 1986 to 2009, when it was sold to Burlington Graphic Systems, Inc. , Racine, Wis. His firm served many of the largest and most successful RV companies in the community, pioneering many new concepts in exterior graphics and design for RV’s, boats, and other outdoor leisure products. Three of his sons and both of his daughters worked alongside him at different times in a business that gained a reputation as a leading graphic design firm in the RV industry.
Visitation hours will be held at Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home, 1531 Cobblestone Blvd., Elkhart, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. both Thursday and Friday evenings, August 8 and 9.
A funeral service with Holy Eucharist will be observed Saturday, August 10, at 11 a.m. at St. John of the Cross Episcopal Church, Bristol, Indiana, where Julius served on the vestry for a number of years. Burial will be at St. John of the Cross cemetery. Flowers are welcome or donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Middlebury in lieu of flowers would also be appreciated. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.stemmlawsonpeterson.com.