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In this documentation of our father, Peter Peter Wiens, I have set out to try to establish who he was, what he did and the background and other factors influenced his life. I have purposely left out a lot of what kind of personality he possessed and how he related to people in general as well as glimpse of the future of what he missed.
The next part of this project will remedy that. I have asked my brothers and sisters to define who our Dad was and what he meant to them. Together, collectively, we will attempt to give you a more in depth look into the soul of Peter Wiens and how he contributed to his society in general and his family in particular. I have chosen to let this section to speak for itself.
If you have liked reading the first part, I hope you will enjoy reading about the personal side of a husband and father.
Naomi (Wiens) Kapplehoff
Dad was a man of few words. He had a kind and gentle spirit. He was a hard worker and a man of all trades. He was a farmer, engineer, butcher, and a wonderful father and very musical. He was lots of fun when he wasn't too busy with work. He enjoyed reading books in the winter. When we were small I remember Dad playing a lot with us. He was the horse and we the riders. As we grew older, he played table games with us or in the summer played ball with us.
In winter during one of my last years at home, he made a rink and skated with us. We sang together and worked together. I enjoyed working with him - feeding the cattle, horses and pigs etc. I had the privilege of building the lattice fence with Dad. That time was special. He taught me to work. I learned many things, how to do different jobs which has helped me in vocation (farming).
I had a close and good relationship with Dad. I could talk to him and he listened - sometimes giving advice. When he gave advice, he often gave the pros and cons and told us now "decide for yourself".
When Dad had to make decisions he would be in deep thought. I remember sometimes even at dinner or supper, he would hardly respond to what we were saying. He was planning the next move or how he would do things. He invented an easier way of washing clothes or separated the milk. He also made it possible for us to have running water.
The activities that Dad was involved in church were - director of the children's choir, singing in the adult choir, leading an orchestra and a ladies choir. I was privileged to sing in the ladies choir.
In the community he was on the school board for a few years. He got the power into the community and he worked hard on getting the phone in. He ran the snow plough in winter to keep the roads open. He was the butcher for the community for many summers.
I guess Dad had some influence on whom and what kind of person I married. He advised me against marrying my first boyfriend. I always wanted somebody who was somewhat like Dad - a Christian who loved Jesus, a farmer and a kind and gentle person. When I married Lawrence, I wished so much that Dad could be at our wedding and see us get married because I felt he would be very pleased.
Dad's unexpected death was something I had been wrestling with for several months before he died. I had a dream that he had died about three months before. I was so glad I was able to be home for all of August and do a lot of things with him. The night the call came, the first thing that came to mind was Dad and what had happened. I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to believe it.
It didn't seem real until I got home from Winnipeg. It didn't really hit me that Dad was gone until the first breakfast when Dad wasn't reading the Bible before the meal. I struggled with it for awhile, until a message I heard at one time came to mind. It said we are to thank God for everything even if a loved one has died. Finally I prayed and said, "Thank you God for taking Dad home to yourself" and then it was as if a burden had been lifted. I still miss him and wish many times he was here to enjoy my family and what we are doing.
You ask how did his life shape mine? It was his example of how he lived for Jesus. He taught us about Jesus by reading God's Word to us daily morning and evening. He took us faithfully to church and Sunday school. Through his love for music, I learned many of the hymns hearing Dad singing them at home, especially after he bought Mom the piano. He would also play the guitar or autoharp and with Mom on the piano, they'd both sing while they played.
When I said I wanted to get baptized, he prepared me for the occasion by asking me to tell him about my conversion and asked me questions as to why I wanted to be baptized and a few others just like they did in church. This helped me a lot. When I asked to go to Bible school, he encouraged me and let me go.
His example of how he and Mom worked together influenced me. They planned things out together. Dad taught Mom to do the farm accounts, income tax and made sure she knew what was all involved.
I also recall Dad and Mom going arm in arm for a walk to inspect the fields. Seeing them hold hands or Dad taking Mom on his lap gave me the assurance that they loved each other.
If I could have one last conversation with him, I would tell Dad how much I loved him. I'd thank him for being my Dad, for loving and caring for me and for teaching me many valuable lessons.
Lily Wiens Willems
Lily was born on October 16, 1935 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This is her account of Dad. She is currently retired and living in the town of Waldheim, Saskatchewan. Lily and her husband, Lawrence Willems have two children - Iris and Heather and are grandma and grandpa to three active boys as well as one very special girl who resides in heaven with her greatgrandparents and a great uncle.
By Herb Wiens
I remember Dad as being a fun loving, quiet, kind man even though I remember one spanking I got - I thought I was going to die. Dad had a very unique kind of quietness about him. I don't remember him saying a lot - except when he talked, you listened and he always made good common sense. He did a lot of playing with us. He taught us a lot of games - indoor and outdoor alike.
I guess the two most memorable things I liked was to work together with him; I idolized his ability to out work everybody and nothing was ever impossible. Somehow he was always able to figure everything out. If it didn't work, he would make it work. All the friends and neighbors knew that. I thought he was Superman.
When I was seventeen years old I had a tremendous need to get away from home, because I didn't want to disappoint Dad and because I knew I couldn't keep up with him in work or his standards of accomplishments. I wish I could have talked with him about that. But I couldn't express myself.
The most fun I had with Dad was around the piano. We would sing for hours; he just never seemed to get tired. He taught me a lot about the love of singing. I thought he was the greatest. I still think he really was very good having self-taught himself.
Yes, he conducted the children's choir as well as the Glenbush orchestra. He would sing for about 15 minutes with the children in church many times and at Christmas he would usually lead the children's choir for the Christmas Eve program. Dad had a very quiet but deep faith in God. He took everything to God before he made a decision.
He was definitely a pioneer. He usually was the first in the community to do things. For years he ran a beef ring which solved the problem of having fresh beef all summer long without any electricity. He bought a huge tractor to break land. People often laughed at him for his optimism but he usually had the last laugh because the next year, the other farmers usually followed his lead.
Even though I loved being with Dad and working together, we didn't seem to talk alot. That is one thing I wish would have been different. He had a lot of wisdom he could have shared with me. I wished he could have helped me in understanding girls.
The legacy he left me was a pioneering spirit and a deep love for music. Mom, of course, also helped a great deal. I covet the deep faith he had in God for my children and his love for life and freedom not to be controlled by other's thinking. He was a creative, imaginative person who thought for himself.
Thank you, Dad, for being a tremendous example to me and teaching me to have a freedom in communicating with my children. Thank you God for allowing me to have the mother and father that I had. They were and are the best. I love you.
Herb was the firstborn son born to Peter and Maria on September 25, 1937. He is retired and living in New Westminister, B. C. He is a father of two - Howard and Gerrie and grandfather to 5.
By Anna Wiens Kroeker
The kind of activities that Dad loved to do from day to day that kept him in contact with his family included wandering into the house from room to room to see what everyone was doing. He'd also play soccer and softball with us as he had time. Dad read the Bible to us each day and talked to us about it.
Although my relationship with him was tender and loving - he didn't always understanding me. He encouraged me when it was me against my older siblings.
Dad was involved in many community activities. These included acting as a trustee in the Artichoke school board. He was instrumental in bringing power as well as the telephone to the Glenbush area. (Ironically, he never owned a telephone). His church activities involved singing tenor in the church choir and quartet as well directing the junior choir. He was a spiritual example to us though not faultless.
Dad influenced my life in my choice of a mate when he wrote me a letter when I wanted to bring a friend home. He was of a quiet nature and confident spirit which influenced me greatly causing me to want to please him through my actions.
He was humble enough to apologize to others when he was wrong and covered up or protected me from other people's criticism. He was willing to take the blame when others thought we had done something wrong.
He loved harvest time. Dad loved to walk through the grain when it came close to harvesting time. During this time, he custom combined for others.
He wasn't fussy and ate what was put in front of him thanking God for it. The legacy he left me was his love for children and teens.
His unexpected death made me aware that God is very near at such times and takes care of us. Words of wisdom that he gave me were:
"Don't think that it becomes easier to resist temptation as you grow older because it becomes harder".
Anna was born on November 6, 1939. She is married to Ken Kroeker. Ken and Anna are farmers in Waldheim, Saskatchewan. They are farming the property that Ken was born on. Ken and Anna have three children - twin daughters, Barbara and Janet and a son, Robert. They are grandparents to two granddaughters and one on the way.
By Ed Wiens
Writing about Dad is one of the hardest things I've tried to do. The more I think about it and try to formulate my thoughts about him, the more I realize how little I knew him. The thoughts also bring to mind the anger and frustration that I felt when he was taken from us, so early in his life as well as my own. At that time, I had just spent a year at home after graduating from high school. I felt I was just getting to know him as a person - as a friend, instead of as an authority figure who kept me from doing the things I wanted to do.
So at best, my memories of Dad are only snippets of events which I have never been able to interpret to my own satisfaction. I'll try to write some of these down here and maybe together with the shared memories of the rest of you, I will come to understand Dad more fully.
My earliest and I think my fondest memories are of listening to him sing. I remember especially those times when, after I had gone to bed, I could hear him singing the hymns from the German Gesangbuch (song book), with Mom's vibrant accompaniment. The warmth and clarity of his voice are two features I'm still trying to emulate.
He once told me that if people can't understand the words you are singing, then you might just as well not sing. Dad certainly had a large influence on my decision to make singing my career. If I hadn't enjoyed his solos at church as well as his duets with Peter Pauls, so very much, then I don't think that I would have fallen in love with the act of singing. I came to want to express myself, emotionally and intellectually, through song.
I become more and more aware how complex Dad was. He was a man of quick emotions but emotions perhaps kept too much in check. I recall him as a man of deep love and concern for the people around him, but he also had quite a fierce temper, which I think, he had to fight to control more than a few times.
I've seen him become fairly violent with a few mean and stubborn animals. At least once this temper was used in my defense. Reuben and I were walking across the yard to fetch some water from the well when suddenly a young workhorse
named Roy came charging around the corner of the barn right at us. I was about six or seven at this time, and in a panic, I threw myself to the ground while Reuben raced for the shelter of the pump. Well, Roy ran right over me, nicked my right thigh with his hoof and ran off. Dad happened to see this, caught Roy, and gave him a good pummeling. I guess it must have been a terrible sight for Dad, to see a horse running right over one of his children. (I still have a two inch long scar to remind me of this incident).
He certainly cared for his children. I'll never forget the night that he and Mr. Klassen drove me all the way to the Rabbit Lake Hospital to have my stomach pumped to rid it of all the pits that I'd swallowed along with the plums I'd stolen. It was well after midnight, and over very muddy slippery roads. I never got a spanking for that fiasco. I guess Mom and Dad figured I had suffered enough from the sharp stomach pains.
Dad loved to make us laugh. I recall several times that he would tickle Rose until she was quite helpless with laughter. I remember the pleasure of listening in when some of the cousins or older friends came to visit. There always seemed to be a lot of stories told and if I remember correctly, some pretty good storytellers about. I'm glad the adults tolerated us kids being present during those times. Even though I might not have contributed more than a syllable or two, I still felt very much a part of the company. There was always a lot of laughter in those gatherings. I believe Dad loved sports, and wanted us to have fun in sporting activities. He encouraged us to play ball, soccer and to ski. However, I have never forgotten the time that he made Reuben and me miss the baseball tournament in North Battleford. Glenbush High School had just won the area championship and we were scheduled to play in the next tournament in North Battleford.
Both Reuben and I were regulars on the team but Dad kept us home to pick roots off some new breaking so he could get it sown before it got too late in the season. I realize the importance of getting the crops in quickly in an area of early frost but I could not understand that this should take precedence over a great event in a boy's life. Maybe that's why
I've grown into such an avid baseball fan - I'm getting back at earlier shackles on my enthusiasm. Another of my memories of Dad involves his sense of community. He was always ready to help someone in need. More than once I watched him leave his combine standing on a sunny day to go spend the afternoon helping a neighbor fix his equipment.
I'm sure we can all recall him traveling from neighbor to neighbor in inclement weather in his effort to get the community to sign up for telephone or power services. If Dad ever decided to run for political office, I've no doubt that he would have been easily elected in our community.
One thing I always admired about Dad was his common sense approach to problem solving. He was good with his hands, fixing tired old machinery or building a new wagon or barn. It's too bad he never had the finances to build his dream farm. He certainly worked hard to make a go of it with what was at hand.
Ed was born on April 4, 1942. Ed is a musician by trade and resides in Toronto, Ontario where he sings with the Elmer Iseler Singers. The group has toured all over the country and in other continents. Ed is married to Donna Beaton. Together they are the parents of one girl - Emily - who is a student at the University of Waterloo in Toronto.
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