Erna Maria Shields' Obituary
Erna “Ann” Maria Wieland was born August 23,1930 to Theresa and Joseph Wieland in Munich, Germany. She passed away February 2,2023 in her Largo, Floria home.
The daughter of Teresa and Joseph Wieland, she grew up in pre-war and during World War II in Munich and spent some time in her childhood in the smaller community of Regen where her grandmother lived.
She met and married Don Shields while he was stationed in Munich in the post war era in the Army Air Corps. They met while she was working in a pub in Munich. Their first date was going to a Hopalong Cassidy movie (she paid); second date was a USO dance. They moved to the United States in 1953 traveling on the USS Butler and she entered the US through Ellis Island Immigration Center.
She learned basic English quickly by watching American cartoons and eventually became a United States Citizen in 1958. To family and friends, she was a living history book telling fascinating stories of growing up in war-torn Munich and living under the rule of the Third Reich. During the war her family lost her father and brother in battle.
A hard worker, she was known to keep a meticulously clean house. She helped support her family while they moved to many different Air Force bases over 26 years with numerous jobs: babysitting, ice cream cone factory, working in a bowling alley grill, cashier at the second Target store in America, and an Air Force Commissary cashier. She also worked in Civil Service at Glasgow AFB in Montana, and then Great Falls, Montana Malmstrom AFB where she was a contracting officer until retirement.
She was voracious reader of books and news, loved doing daily crossword puzzles, and was a wicked marble player. Her memory was vivid, and no one would try to debate her on a political point. Sunday morning news programs were her favorites, as well as cowboy shows, Perry Mason, Matlock, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!
Before and after retirement she and her husband Don enjoyed the mountains of Montana. She often spoke dreamily about the smell of the pines in the crisp clean air, along with the sound of a babbling brook. Their favorite spot was Glacier National Park.
After retirement in 1991, they began to spend winters in Florida, first for a couple weeks, then a few months until they eventually decided to make it their permanent home. In 2004 they moved to Town and Country Senior Living Park in Largo, Florida where they enjoyed the warm Florida weather with Don’s sisters June Shrake (husband Vivan), and Fay Sarver (husband Boyd). They had many life-long friends in the park.
She is survived by her children, Peggy, Donald (Bobbie), and James; grandchildren, Stephanie (Greg), Matthew (April), Thomas (Hayley), Becky, Lindsey (Stuart), Jonathan (Amy), Anna (Dusty), and A’Lynn (Ryan). Great grandchildren: Paul (Ciera), Taylor, Gabriella, Wyatt, Jenna (Patrick), Colin, Casey, Noah, Megan, Ashlyn (Aidan), Jackson, Ava, Caroline, Michael, Landry and two great, great grandchildren: Ophelia, and Jupiter, along with nieces and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Don in 2014, her granddaughter, Heather; her parents; two brothers, Michael and Irwin; and daughter-in-law, Lisa Shields.
She will be buried with her husband Don at Bay to Pines VA cemetery, St. Petersburg, Florida.
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