Wiens, Abraham

Mennonite Brethrn Herald obituary: 1980 Sept 12 p. 29

Birth date 1914 Jan 08

text of obituary:

ABRAHAM WIENS

Abraham Wiens of Winnipeg passed away on July 23. He was born to Johann and Sara (Steingart) Wiens on January 8, 1914 in Neu-Halbstadt, Sagradowka, in the Ukraine. In 1929 his family went to Moscow to ask permission to emigrate, but his father was im- prisoned for 11 months and his mother and the five children were sent home. After his father returned, the whole family was exiled to Sverdlovsk. After his father died, he escaped from the camp and went to the Crimea. His mother and family were also able eventually to escape. His mother died in 1934. At age 19 he married Lena Voth of Waldheim. Three children were born to the couple; two died in infancy and only Elvira, now Mrs. Jacob Reimer, lived. Soon after marriage he was exiled for 10 years to Severouralsk. His wife passed away. After he was released he went to Aktubinsk, met Luise Sasse and married her. Elvira was found and added to the family. They were allowed to move to Germany in 1955. They lived in Friedland and Wuerttenberg. Through reading a tract, he accepted Christ as his Saviour. In summer 1957 the family immigrated to Winnipeg, where he worked for 22 years. In 1957 they were both baptized into the Elmwood MB Church. He is survived by his wife Luise; children and spouses: Elvira and Jacob Reimer, Lina and Berent Hamm , Walter and Elizabeth Wiens, Lydia and Darrell Binda, Gerdie and Bruce Olynik, Dorothy and Glenn Wasylyk, John and Timothy; 10 grandchildren and three sisters.