BARBARA KRIENING

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BARBARA KRIENING

January 6, 1936 – July 23, 2024

While listening to Luciano Pavarotti’s “Ave Maria,” and with her youngest child by her side, Barbara Kriening fell peacefully into eternal rest on July 23, 2024, at 88 years of age.

“Bärbel” was born to Rosalia Szarka and Martin Elbert on January 6, 1936, in Zsámbék, Hungary. She was one of ten children: Martin, Katharina, Theresia, Maria, Rosa, Barbara, Martin, Michael, Josef, and Franz. Unfortunately, the first two, as well as the last, did not survive. Growing up during the Great Depression and the bombing of Hungary in the Second World War, Bärbel was undernourished and not able to receive much schooling. In 1946, as the Soviets took over their land, the family packed up what little they could and were loaded into a boxcar in Budapest. Arriving at a camp in Germany, the Elberts were eventually placed in Gerlingen, where food and educational opportunities remained sparse. Barbara spent two years learning German before joining her contemporaries in public school. However, she and her siblings were often kept back to work as farmhands. At 14, Barbara was sent to a family in Eltingen to be their maid. When the Hausfrau refused to let her go home on weekends, Barbara ran away in the middle of the night.

On New Year’s Eve 1951, Barbara met Alfons Kriening at a town dance. Although he was from a neighbouring village, he would make the trek “through the valley and up, over the hill” to visit her every single weekend after that. While Alfons completed an apprenticeship with Audi, Barbara took various positions, including one with Bosch and another with an eyeglass manufacturer. In May of 1954, Alfons departed for Canada, following a friend who was already in Winnipeg. As the young couple was engaged at the time, Barbara decided to join Alfons at the end of November. She boarded the Arosa Kulm, an inhospitable freighter that carried 900 immigrants from Bremerhaven to Halifax. Cold and ill upon arrival, she nevertheless made the long and desolate rail journey to Manitoba, all the while wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into. Officially a “Displaced Person,” Barbara had to marry immediately or face deportation. Thus it was that she became Mrs. Alfons Kriening at St. Joseph’s Church on Jefferson Avenue on December 29, 1954, without family, friends, or even a photographer, in attendance.

Barbara and Alfons initially rented furnished rooms in boarding houses in Winnipeg’s Centennial and West Alexander neighbourhoods. They found work sewing fur linings into the leather jackets of the Winnipeg Police Force, and at Western Glove Works, respectively. By 1958, the couple was able to purchase a two-storey home in Wolseley, where they welcomed son Harald Alfons and took on a boarder, themselves. Becoming a mother made Barbara more homesick than ever, so a decision was made to sell the house and use the proceeds to buy airline tickets to Germany. Despite Barbara’s wishes to remain in Europe, the young family returned to Canada, bought a small bungalow near Omand’s Creek, and welcomed a second son, Roland Karl, in 1962. After a stint with Dickson Motors, Alfons was able to open his own business, King Auto Upholstery. By 1967, the Krienings had saved enough to buy a brand-new home on a large pie-shaped lot on a quiet bay in Crestview. Here, they welcomed a third son, André Nicol.

With the advent of the 1970s, the family thrived. Although they never had a lot of spending money, Barbara managed their affairs and ensured that her husband and her boys enjoyed all that the community had to offer. Opportunities in the growing suburb included excellent public schools, local sports, street dances, and neighbourhood gatherings. All kinds of vehicles frequented the Kriening driveway in those days, including several trailers and boats that would make their way to the Whiteshell every summer. “City Park” was a favourite haunt, as was the German Club, Oak Bluff Community Hall, the Village Inn, Winnipeg Beach, the MS Lord Selkirk II, Merteen’s, and the Beachcomber.

Once her boys were grown and married, Barbara opened a second-hand store for children’s and baby items, something that was quite prescient for the 1990s. It allowed her to serve a community that she understood – people who worked hard, but often had little, and who strived to provide the best they could for their families. It also ensured that she had coffee with her husband and friends at least once a day. During this time, Barbara was thrilled to welcome a second generation of Canadian-born Krienings, including six of her seven grandchildren. Many a Sunday night was spent in the gazebo of Oma and Opa's incredible backyard or in the adjacent playground.

Upon their retirement, Barbara and Alfons moved into the Courts of St. James, where they enjoyed a phenomenal view of Woodhaven and Sturgeon Creek, and where she did 40 lengths in the pool nearly every single day. When that style of living became too much, a transition was made to Sturgeon Creek II Retirement Residence. Barbara liked the idea of not having to cook every single day, but she also lamented the lack of “spice” in her food. At any rate, both shifts were transitions that needed to be made at the time – mostly for the sake of Alfons, who began to suffer from dementia – and Barbara was selfless and steadfast in her decisions.

Besides being a devoted wife, mother, and Oma, Barbara Kriening was a person with many diverse interests. In addition to dancing, swimming and walks through the English Garden, Barbara loved tennis, golf, bowling, air travel, roses, orchids, schnitzel and spaetzle, waffles and whipped cream, Zombies, Kahlua, reading, canasta, babies, dogs, fashion, “Dancing with the Stars,” Errol Flynn, Puerto Vallarta, and the colour yellow. She would have enjoyed the upcoming Olympic Games, as well as the livestream of her youngest granddaughter competing in dressage at the North American Youth Championships. Oma dressed to the nines, had a green thumb, made delicious meals and tortes, and always told you exactly what she was thinking.

Barbara Kriening is survived by her husband of almost 70 (!) years; her sister, Rosa, and brother, Josef; as well as her sons, Harald (Elizabeth) of Kelowna, BC, Roland (Susan) of London, ON, and André (Elsebeth) of Headingley, MB. She also leaves behind her grandchildren: Natalie (Corey) Taylor and Melissa Kriening; Sydney (Adam Mummery) Kriening and Sarah (Nicholas) Pawlelec; and Stefan, Anton and Annika Kriening. Last but most certainly not least, Barbara was able to meet and enjoy her first great-grandchild, Archer Mummery.



As per Barbara’s wishes, there will be no service held. Those who wish to honour her may donate towards a tribute plaque in Assiniboine Park, a place that gave her much solace throughout her life. She would also love to know that you took advantage of the opportunity to vote. Having fled political strife and economic crises, Barbara never took democratic rights for granted. She also never missed an opportunity to engage with another human being and to compliment them. We would all be better if we lived our lives more like the compassionate and caring person that Barbara Kriening was.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 27, 2024, Jul 27, 2024