Mary Ann Wiens

MEADE – Mary Ann Wiens, age 91, passed away early Friday morning, December 8, 2023, at the Lone Tree Retirement Center, Meade, Kansas.

Mary Ann Claassen Wiens, daughter of Abraham J. and Anna (Peters) Claassen, was born February 8, 1932, in Hillsboro, Kansas. Mary Ann was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ as her Savior at the age of 9. She was baptized at the age of 14 and joined the Mennonite Brethren Church of Hillsboro, later moving to Meade and becoming an active member of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren church of rural Meade. Emmanuel Mennonite Church became her home church in the last years. As a young girl, she attended Hillsboro schools, graduating from Hillsboro High School. She later attended and graduated from the Wichita Business College.

On July 4, 1958, she married Erwin H. Wiens in Wichita, Kansas. The newlywed couple then moved back to Meade and made their home on the family farmstead south of town. Mary Ann and Erwin had 3 children, Cindy, Sherry, and Kevin. On March 9, 1985, Erwin passed away. She later married Eldo P. Wiens on November 30, 1996, and once again enjoyed being a part of the family farming operations. Eldo passed away on October 12, 2016.

Mary Ann worked hard on the farm and helped out by driving the tractor, combine, and the truck during harvest time. While home raising her 3 children, she did a lot of sewing, crocheting. and cooking. She and Erwin enjoyed many evenings of playing games and fellowship around the table with close friends, taking trips in their Meade Manufacturing camper, and riding their motorcycle. Mary cherished family time on the boat and enjoyed water skiing on Table Rock Lake up until her accident on September 18, 2012, when she was no longer able to be her active self. Mary also enjoyed spending time on the ski slopes of Colorado when her family was young. She was a member of the women’s bowling league, the Meade Extension Homemakers Unit, and the Christian Motorcycle Association. Mary worked at the Blossom Shop in Meade making beautiful floral arrangements and later she worked in the local medical clinic for Dr.’s Orrison and Donahoe and then at the Meade District Hospital in medical records for several years. She most enjoyed watching sports, especially Kevin during his many years of athletics, and most recently watching her grandchildren. She volunteered many hours at the Et Cetera Shop in Liberal with Ladies Missions Society. Mary spent her last years looking forward to and playing dominoes with her sweet friends while living at Lone Tree Retirement Center. She had many special friendships during her retirement living, and truly appreciated the love and care received from her special people. And most of all, she enjoyed visits from her family and friends.

Mary is survived by her children, Kevin & Debbie Wiens of rural Meade, Sherry & Bill Angell of Beloit, Kansas, and Cindy & Jim Hiebert of Longview, Texas; she is also survived by Eldo’s children, Leon Wiens of Enid, Oklahoma, Allene Kaiser of Eugene, Oregon, and Lynette Friesen of Henderson, Nebraska; eight grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husbands, Erwin and Eldo; parents, Abraham and Anna Claassen; her brother, Abe Claassen; and her sister, Olga Penner.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30am Thursday, December 14, 2023, at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Meade. Friends may call from 3:00pm until 7:00pm on Wednesday, December 13, at Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade. Interment will follow in the Graceland Cemetery, Meade.

The family would welcome memorials to the Missions Fund at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in care of the funeral home.

Personal condolences may be given to the family at www.fidlerormebachmanmortuary.com