December 26, 1926 – June 17, 2024
Sr. Mary Piniana Klein, 97 years old, was called to eternal life on June 17, 2024, at Ascension Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Sr. Mary Piniana, born December 26, 1926, in Waltersberg, Bavaria, Germany, was named and baptized Theresia. She is one of seven children (four sisters and two brothers) born to Franz and Franziska (Frauenknecht) Klein.
Theresia entered the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother on March 18, 1952, in Abenberg, Germany. She professed first vows on March 19, 1955 in Abenberg, receiving the name Sister Mary Piniana. She came to the United States in 1955. Sister celebrated her Silver Jubilee on August 10, 1980, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, her Golden Jubilee on September 8, 2002, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and her 60th Jubilee on August 9, 2015, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
As a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother, Sr. Piniana served in the diet kitchen at St. John’s Medical Center, Tulsa, OK (1956-1966) and at St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Wichita, KS (1971-1979). She worked as a seamstress (1966-1971 and 1984-1991) and as a sacristan (1992-2006) at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent, Broken Arrow, OK. She loved her work in sacristy and sewing, always saying she was “happy to do it for the Lord.” Decorating the chapel was her joy.
She was known for her meticulous lifestyle, which was evident in how she related to others, how she prayed and how she completed her daily tasks. She consistently followed the political scene and enjoyed conversing about it at length.
She retired to St. Clare’s Convent in Broken Arrow, OK in 2006 and then, in January 2009, moved to the retirement center, SSM Franciscan Courts in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Sr. Piniana was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters Francisca and Maria, and her brothers Johann and Michael. She is survived by her sisters Frieda Fersch and Lidwina Bayer. Homecoming was held on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. at SSM Franciscan Courts in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at SSM Franciscan Courts with Father William Hower officiating. Burial took place at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Oshkosh, WI.
Submitted by Sr. Judith Marie Beck