Uncle Harry

My Uncle Harry Wiens passed away this week. The funeral was in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. On Thursday, I drove my parents up there. 9 1/2 hours.

We ALWAYS have to stop in LeMars, Iowa at the Blue Bunny Ice-cream place!

Ice-cream is both my parents' favorite food!

Dad even worked in an ice-cream shop in Omaha when he was going to school at Grace! He says they could eat it whenever they wanted.

Mocha Chocolate Almond

When we got to Mountain Lake, we met our "shirt-tail" cousins, Dennis and Ciny Wiens. My mom's sister, Wava, married Dennis' uncle, Harry Wiens.

By the way, Dennis and Cindy plan to be at the Swiss church in Whitewater on Thursday evening (125 S. Oak). They are bringing with them Dr. Hanna Massad, a pastor from the Gaza Baptist church to speak about what God is doing in the Middle East among His people there. It should be quite interesting!

Uncle Mahlon, Aunt Wava, my mom, Uncle Wally

(Uncle Mahlon and Uncle Wally live in Pandora, Ohio)

When my mom went to Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, she showed her year book to Wava, who was still in high school. Wava saw Uncle Harry's picture in the yearbook and declared "I'm going to marry that man!" And guess what! That is just what happened! When Wava went to Grace, there was Harry and the rest is history.

Here is some interesting things about the Geiger and Wiens' families. Both families are very mission minded. My mom's sister, Aunt Treva (who has passed away) went to Mali, Africa as a missionary. My mom went to Japan as a missionary. Uncle Wally went to Paris, France as a missionary. Uncle Harry and Uncle Mahlon have both gone on many mission trips. Uncle Harry on 24 trips to Japan, Hawaii, Africa, Cuba, Russia, Siberia, Ukraine and the Philippines. Uncle Mahlon has gone on 10 mission trips.

The Wiens' family also were (and are) involved in missions. His oldest brother is in Italy. He is in his 80's and plans to live the remainder of his life there. Another brother was in Mali and worked alongside my Aunt Treva. Dennis (that was pictured above) is his son and Dennis and Cindy spent many years as missionaries in Mali also before joining the SAT-7 team. Uncle Harry's sister, Ruth, was a missionary in Japan where we were. My cousin, Amberly is now doing short-term missions in Japan too.

Aunt Wava and my cousins

As we were driving around Mountain Lake, I saw this building. My parents told me that Uncle Harry was part-owner of Balzer industries in Mountain Lake (his mother was a Balzer). So, Dave Balzer, any chance you have connections to my Mountain Lake relatives?
My cousins will not be able to celebrate Father's Day with their dad this year.

He was a very special Dad. Loved fishing.

Loved fishing for men too. A Gideon.

A deacon in their church.

Awana leader.

Sunday School teacher.

Loving husband, devoted Dad.

A story was told at the funeral about Uncle Harry. He was in the Navy in 1944. It was in the middle of the war with Japan. Their ship was on its way to the Philippines and would be landing on an island to fight the Japanese. The captain knew Uncle Harry was a Christian and he asked him if he would not lead the men in a word of prayer and reading of the Scriptures. Uncle Harry read to these men from Psalm 91. Many of these men would lose their lives.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the lord,

'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night
nor the arrow that flies by day......
He will call upon Me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble..."

This father's day we remember our Dads too.

Al's Dad

I took this picture many years ago, but it is one of my favorites of him.

My Dad.



Love you both!!!

Happy Father's Day!



And to my children's Daddy.





I love you much!!