Sister Mary Piniana Klein's Obituary
Sister Mary Piniana Klein, age 97, died on June
17, 2024, at Ascension Mercy Hospital, Oshkosh,
Wisconsin.
Sister 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.
As a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother, Sister Mary 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.”
She retired to St. Clare’s Convent in Broken Arrow, OK in 2006 and then, in
2009, moved to our retirement center, SSM Franciscan Courts, Oshkosh,
WI. She consistently followed the political scene and enjoyed conversing
about it at length.
Sister Mary 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 will be at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at SSM
Franciscan Courts. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at
10:00am on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at SSM Franciscan Courts with
Father William Hower officiating. Burial will be at Calvary Catholic
Cemetery in Oshkosh, WI.
Fiss & Bills-Poklasny Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.
What’s your fondest memory of Mary?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mary?
Share a story where Mary's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mary you’ll never forget.
How did Mary make you smile?

