"Loved ones' lives are like a song...every note rare and precious."
This page has been created to honor the memory and celebrate the life of the late Henry Peter Wiens.
You may want to share memories or condolences or simply reflect on his life while listening to peaceful music. This is a time and a place to remember our Dad and Grandpa.
Please select music from the album below, as desired. The song "Seek Ye First" is especially dedicated to Dad's memory because Matthew 6:33 was our parents' life verse.
"Where words fail...music speaks."
Perhaps a year before Dad passed away, I visited him in Mountain Lake. We went to the country cemetery where he had already purchased markers for himself and Mom. However because of Alzheimer's, it was as if he had never seen them before - especially the epitaph, "Till He Comes". When he read those words he got very excited and asked, "Does Marie know about this?" During lunch with Mom, he continued being joyful . His eyes practically glowed as he proclaimed, "Jesus is coming soon". I have never seen such joy in a cemetery - thus the title of this song:
He Lives aka The Cemetery Rag
I’m also one of the younger grandchildren of Henry, but I still have fond memories of him. Similar to Carolyn and Lora’s memories, I can still vividly hear him welcoming us into their home with a twinkle in his eye and warm smile on his face. He truly did delight in his grandchildren and I remember feeling safe and comforted by his presence.
This wedding photo of our folks was taken April 6, 1934. Dad was 28 – Mom was 23. Growing up, I always had the idea that Dad was pretty OLD when they got married.
I don’t recall the year Pastor Weins and his family came to Randville Church but he is the only one during the time I was growing up that I remember being there. He served with loving dedication and I recall he had another church that he preached at on Sunday mornings if I am right. I was saved at Bible Camp run by Pastor Lowell Fox which your Dad encouraged me to go to in 1962 and came home and Pastor Weins baptized me in Sawyer Lake in Channing. Thank God I get to see him in heaven again some day.
Regarding that summer of Gospel outreach, it was in 1950. He ended the report with these meaningful words: “Too long we have been asleep; ‘The night cometh when no man can work’. Son, go work in my vineyard today.’
Here we were in the Randville Church where our parents celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary in 1975!
Am so happy to see my dear dad being honored on this Memorial weekend. He definitely deserves a LOT of credit for life well-lived for the glory of God. I can’t think of a time when I felt let down by him. I knew he believed in me and that helped me all through the ups and downs of life. I have a new appreciation of his earnest and energetic outreaches in northeastern Montana after finally taking time to browse though a detailed summary of just one summer he directed the establishment of Daily Vacation Bible Schools plus two weeks of Bible Camp which he founded along with other pastors. He was my dad and that’s how I knew him. However, reading things like this made me realize how dedicated a man he was to the Lord he served.
I’m the youngest and thus have the least memories of Grandpa Wiens, but still I have quite a few. It’s easy to draw up a memory of him playing ventriloquist, sitting in his lazy boy, and me giggling looking up at him. His voice was so enjoyable and warm, it was comforting to be in his presence. He was kind, and strong!
I remember when Dad purchased “Danny O’Day” – from some catalog. He used to really practice the ventriloquist thing – talking without moving his lips. I think “Danny” came with an instructional book that he studied. He did enjoy entertaining with Danny – it was fun for him and his audience, whether at church or grandkids.
Grandpa truly delighted in his grandchildren. I remember how much he enjoyed taking out his dummy and doing a little comedy routine for us. I remember once when I had a loose tooth and he offered to put a string around it and attach it to the door knob to put it right out! A bit of a scary prospect at 6-years-old but he certainly meant to be helpful! I enjoyed his laugh and miss spending time with him!