Tena R Wiens

Mankato Mortuary 
1001 North Riverfront Drive
Mankato, MN 56001
807-388-2202

Tena Rosella Wiens was suddenly and peacefully received into the loving arms of her Savior Jesus Christ on February 13, 2018 in her apartment at Oak Terrace Assisted Living in North Mankato.  Services will be held at Crossview Covenant Church, 2000 Howard Drive, North Mankato, MN on February 25.  Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m., with a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be at Woodland Hills Cemetery, Mankato  on February 26, 2018 at 10 a.m.  Please meet by the canopy entrance.  Mankato Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.

Tena was born on December 19, 1919 to Claus and Sarah Wiens in rural Carson Township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota where she was the 5th child in a family of 6.   Her first home was at the family farm east of Delft.  Tena graduated from Bingham Lake High School on June 1, 1939.  She graduated from Mankato State Teachers College on December 1, 1944 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education.  She taught in Mankato Public Schools for 20 years, primarily at Roosevelt Elementary School in Mankato, MN where she taught 2nd and 3rd grades.  She was a beloved teacher and several of her students have kept in regular contact with Tena to this day. 

After retirement, Tena lived for many years at Realife Coorperative in Mankato and was one of their first residents; moving there May 3, 1989.   She later moved to Oak Terrace Assisted Living in North Mankato.  

Tena enjoyed traveling; especially with Elderhostel and her friends.  She enjoyed embroidering, knitting, playing Skip-bo and Scrabble, the out-of-doors, bird watching, and flowers.  She was a member of the Mankato Hiking Club, Minnesota Retired Educators Association, Covenant Women’s Ministries and was a member of Crossview Covenant Church in North Mankato for over 45 years.  She was their oldest living member.  Her faith was very important to her and she longed for others to know Jesus.  Her church was also very important to her and she attended regularly even though she was in a wheelchair and needed to travel via mobility van. 

She is preceded in death by her parents and siblings:  John Wiens, Leonard Wiens, Helen Wiens, Alma Ewert and Agnes McKenzie.  She is survived by many caring nieces and nephews, friends, students and caregivers.  Thank you to the loving caregivers from Freedom Home Care and Oak Terrace Assisted Living.     As Tena would often say, “You are all very special.” 

Memorials are preferred to Crossview Covenant Church, 2000 Howard Drive, North Mankato, MN  56003 or Neighborhood Thrift Store, 105 W. Lind St., Mankato, MN  56001.