Sarah Mae Wiens, daughter of the late Abraham and Katherine Wiens; sister of Catherine Neufeld, Elizabeth Thiessen, Esther Janzen, Mary Toews, Martha Ewert and Helene Dick; dear friend of Helmuth Stainer; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Sarah was born in Chicago, the sixth of seven daughters. She was named after her aunt, Sarah Kroeker Andersson, an early missionary to Congo, who was commissioned to service the evening before Sarah's birth.
She attended Shields grammar school and Harrison High School.
In 1940 she earned a B.A. in Music Education from Roosevelt University.
She cared for her aging mother until her mother passed away. Then she worked on and received an M.R.E. from Bethany Biblical Seminary, with a major in Religious Education, in 1950.
Throughout this time she gave piano lessons, served as church organist and choir director at Grace Mennonite Church. She later transferred to Woodlawn Mennonite Church. She also held various jobs in clerical and office work. She later became active in the Hyde Park Baptist Church.
Sarah struggled throughout her life with what some specialists then believed to be a form of paranoid schizophrenia, exhibiting signs of exaggerated delusions and grandiose thinking. More current experts feel this was part of her Huntington's Disease. This is a neurological disorder that, as it progresses, affects motor control. It is the same disease which afflicted famous folk singer Woody Guthrie, and is passed on through family lines. It was difficult for friends and relatives to understand if some of what she would relate to them was real. She had difficulty with relationships because she often felt people were not to be trusted.
When the disease progressed to be physically debilitating,she was transferred to and from various care facilities. During this time she met Helmut Stainer, a resident in one of the care facilities. He was an isolated, reserved individual who often had extended catatonic episodes. When Sarah first sat next to him, she said, "This is my husband."
While she had often reported herself to be engaged to be married to a variety of men (some very prominent), this was one relationship which lasted. Helmut became her husband in the spirit of the word, and cared for her every need until her death. Her niece and caretaker, Esther Kressly, saw to it that they remained together if one or the other had to be moved or separated.
She is buried next to Helmut, sister Catherine and her husband, and her parents.
Sarah was born in Chicago, the sixth of seven daughters. She was named after her aunt, Sarah Kroeker Andersson, an early missionary to Congo, who was commissioned to service the evening before Sarah's birth.
She attended Shields grammar school and Harrison High School.
In 1940 she earned a B.A. in Music Education from Roosevelt University.
She cared for her aging mother until her mother passed away. Then she worked on and received an M.R.E. from Bethany Biblical Seminary, with a major in Religious Education, in 1950.
Throughout this time she gave piano lessons, served as church organist and choir director at Grace Mennonite Church. She later transferred to Woodlawn Mennonite Church. She also held various jobs in clerical and office work. She later became active in the Hyde Park Baptist Church.
Sarah struggled throughout her life with what some specialists then believed to be a form of paranoid schizophrenia, exhibiting signs of exaggerated delusions and grandiose thinking. More current experts feel this was part of her Huntington's Disease. This is a neurological disorder that, as it progresses, affects motor control. It is the same disease which afflicted famous folk singer Woody Guthrie, and is passed on through family lines. It was difficult for friends and relatives to understand if some of what she would relate to them was real. She had difficulty with relationships because she often felt people were not to be trusted.
When the disease progressed to be physically debilitating,she was transferred to and from various care facilities. During this time she met Helmut Stainer, a resident in one of the care facilities. He was an isolated, reserved individual who often had extended catatonic episodes. When Sarah first sat next to him, she said, "This is my husband."
While she had often reported herself to be engaged to be married to a variety of men (some very prominent), this was one relationship which lasted. Helmut became her husband in the spirit of the word, and cared for her every need until her death. Her niece and caretaker, Esther Kressly, saw to it that they remained together if one or the other had to be moved or separated.
She is buried next to Helmut, sister Catherine and her husband, and her parents.
Sarah Mae Wiens, daughter of the late Abraham and Katherine Wiens; sister of Catherine Neufeld, Elizabeth Thiessen, Esther Janzen, Mary Toews, Martha Ewert and Helene Dick; dear friend of Helmuth Stainer; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Sarah was born in Chicago, the sixth of seven daughters. She was named after her aunt, Sarah Kroeker Andersson, an early missionary to Congo, who was commissioned to service the evening before Sarah's birth.
She attended Shields grammar school and Harrison High School.
In 1940 she earned a B.A. in Music Education from Roosevelt University.
She cared for her aging mother until her mother passed away. Then she worked on and received an M.R.E. from Bethany Biblical Seminary, with a major in Religious Education, in 1950.
Throughout this time she gave piano lessons, served as church organist and choir director at Grace Mennonite Church. She later transferred to Woodlawn Mennonite Church. She also held various jobs in clerical and office work. She later became active in the Hyde Park Baptist Church.
Sarah struggled throughout her life with what some specialists then believed to be a form of paranoid schizophrenia, exhibiting signs of exaggerated delusions and grandiose thinking. More current experts feel this was part of her Huntington's Disease. This is a neurological disorder that, as it progresses, affects motor control. It is the same disease which afflicted famous folk singer Woody Guthrie, and is passed on through family lines. It was difficult for friends and relatives to understand if some of what she would relate to them was real. She had difficulty with relationships because she often felt people were not to be trusted.
When the disease progressed to be physically debilitating,she was transferred to and from various care facilities. During this time she met Helmut Stainer, a resident in one of the care facilities. He was an isolated, reserved individual who often had extended catatonic episodes. When Sarah first sat next to him, she said, "This is my husband."
While she had often reported herself to be engaged to be married to a variety of men (some very prominent), this was one relationship which lasted. Helmut became her husband in the spirit of the word, and cared for her every need until her death. Her niece and caretaker, Esther Kressly, saw to it that they remained together if one or the other had to be moved or separated.
She is buried next to Helmut, sister Catherine and her husband, and her parents.
Sarah was born in Chicago, the sixth of seven daughters. She was named after her aunt, Sarah Kroeker Andersson, an early missionary to Congo, who was commissioned to service the evening before Sarah's birth.
She attended Shields grammar school and Harrison High School.
In 1940 she earned a B.A. in Music Education from Roosevelt University.
She cared for her aging mother until her mother passed away. Then she worked on and received an M.R.E. from Bethany Biblical Seminary, with a major in Religious Education, in 1950.
Throughout this time she gave piano lessons, served as church organist and choir director at Grace Mennonite Church. She later transferred to Woodlawn Mennonite Church. She also held various jobs in clerical and office work. She later became active in the Hyde Park Baptist Church.
Sarah struggled throughout her life with what some specialists then believed to be a form of paranoid schizophrenia, exhibiting signs of exaggerated delusions and grandiose thinking. More current experts feel this was part of her Huntington's Disease. This is a neurological disorder that, as it progresses, affects motor control. It is the same disease which afflicted famous folk singer Woody Guthrie, and is passed on through family lines. It was difficult for friends and relatives to understand if some of what she would relate to them was real. She had difficulty with relationships because she often felt people were not to be trusted.
When the disease progressed to be physically debilitating,she was transferred to and from various care facilities. During this time she met Helmut Stainer, a resident in one of the care facilities. He was an isolated, reserved individual who often had extended catatonic episodes. When Sarah first sat next to him, she said, "This is my husband."
While she had often reported herself to be engaged to be married to a variety of men (some very prominent), this was one relationship which lasted. Helmut became her husband in the spirit of the word, and cared for her every need until her death. Her niece and caretaker, Esther Kressly, saw to it that they remained together if one or the other had to be moved or separated.
She is buried next to Helmut, sister Catherine and her husband, and her parents.
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