Fast, Helena Wiens (1895-1970)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1970 Oct 02 p. 30

Birth date: 1895 Aug 30

text of obituary:

HELENA FAST

(Mrs.) Helena Fast, nee Wiens, was born lin Sagradowka, South Russia, on August 30, 1895. In her youth she -accepted Christ as Sav,ior and was ,later baptized and received into the Mennonite Brethren Church. On her 22nd birthday s'he was married to John Fast. The Lord blessed their marriage wi,th nline sons and thr-ee daughters, seven of them born before they -came to Canada in 1926. Two sons died -in infancy. The family ,came first to Beechy, Sask., i'n the'ir sea'rclh -for a new home in Canada, and lived there from 1926 to 1938. Then they moved 'to Ontario, settling on a farm near V'irg'il. There the father died quite sudden'lyin 1944. The family rema-ined on the farm a few more years before mov:ing to Virg,i'i. The sudden passing of three sons and a grandson caused the widow much g'rief. Each time, however, the Lord gave sufficient gra'ce. During the past year, Mrs. Fast had Hved in the Tabor Manor, in St. Catharines. A few days p,rior to her death she had attended the wedding of her grandda'ughter, Virg,ini-a Wichert, to Hartmut Wiens and at therecepl1ion was g'iven a cake by the bridal co'uple in honor of her 75th b1irthday. She passed away on September 2. The fune-ral service was held on September 4 in the Virgil Ohureh. Messa-ges of consoIatli-on were brought by Rudy Barte-I and John G. Baerg. She is survived by four sons, John of .A:bbotsford, -B.C., Qiock and George of R.R. 1, N-iagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., and Peter of V,irgil; three daughters, Mrs. John (Marie) Braun of Admiral, Sask., Mrs. Henry (Tina) Wichert of Virgi:l, and Mrs. John (Martha) Voth of N:iagara Fallis; as wel'l as 48 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.