Obituary of Irene Wiens

Irene Wiens (nee Kramer) was born in the German village of Januschew, Poland on April 8, 1931, the second of three children.  Her youth was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, ultimately leading to the familyfleeing to Uelzen, Germany as refugees.   There she completed her High School education.  Sadly this forced move took place only after her father, a minister and teacher, had been taken away to participate in the war effort, never to return, a loss that Irene spoke of with sorrow for the rest of her life.   

Not long after the end of the war the family made the difficult decision to emigrate to Canada because of the harsh conditions that prevailed in Germany at this time.  They travelled by ship from Bremerhaven, Germany in 1950 , making landfall in Quebec City and then carrying on by rail to the Kitchener-Waterloo area.  On this ocean voyage Irene met Elsie and Wanda who remained her dearest friends for life.  

In Kitchener Irene obtained a diploma from secretarial college and worked for several years in the offices of the Kaufmann rubber company.  During this time she also began to attend the Mennonite Brethren church where this lovely young woman attracted the unflagging attentions of a debonnaire banker, ultimately succumbing to the charms of Edward Wiens and marrying him in Kitchener on September 4, 1954. 

After her marriage Irene gave up her career to focus her attention on home and family.   They soon had three beloved children:  Christel (married to David Ford) in 1955, Donald (married to Loreta Sayam) in 1956, and Karen (married to James Demers) in 1958.  In later years she was a wonderful grandmother to two treasured grandchildren, Mark Demers (married to Kahlee Demers) and Michelle Demers (partner Thomas Gretzinger).

In 1969 Edward and Irene decided to accept a calling from their church to move to St. Catharines where Edward had been invited to become the first administrator of Tabor Manor.  Although Irene found the move very difficult, and continued to express wistful regret about leaving her beloved community of family and friends in KW until the end, she became an integral part of the work at Tabor Manor, personally befriending and regularly visiting every resident there for many years.  

She maintained the family home meticulously, cooked and baked wonderfully, and cared deeply for her family, friends and church, engaging actively in the life of those communities in a variety of ways for most of her life.  In the last few years of her life dementia eroded her memory but left intact her caring and affection for those around her.  She became less focused on her various ailments and her need to be exceptional, leaving her a much more contented person, with ties of love with her family closer than they had ever been.    

She passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of pneumonia, after just a few days of suffering, to be with her God on June 29, 2020.  Her love and sweetness will be sorely missed by herfamily and friends.  A private service will be held at the Vineland Chapel of Tallman Funeral Homes, 3277 King St. Vineland, on July 3, 2020 with a memorial celebration for her and her beloved Edward at a future date.  

She is survived by brother Eugene (Anneliese). Predeceased by husband Edward (just eight weeks earlier) and brother Waldemar (Ingeborg).

The family would like to express deep appreciation to the Tabor Manor family for the wonderful care they took of Irene in herfinal years.  Please direct donations in memorium to either the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) or to Radiant Care Tabor Manor.