Vina R. Krins, age 103, a longtime resident of Windsor Park, Carol Stream, went peacefully to be with her Lord on April 15, 2017. She was born in 1914 in Ballplay, Tennessee in the Smokey Mountains to Banister T. and Sallie P (Kirkland) Bivens.

Vina spent her childhood in TN. She graduated from Friendsville Academy in 1931 and Gilford College in NC in 1933 with a permanent teaching certificate. She taught at a one room school (grades 1-8) in her home community for two years. Walter Krins moved to TN after his parents died to live with his uncle who was the pastor of the church Vina's family attended. Walter and Vina courted, became engaged and were married in 1935 in Ann Arbor Michigan. In 1954 she returned to teaching country school in MI. While teaching fulltime, Vina raised her family, attended college part-time, graduating from Eastern Michigan University with a BS in 1959 and a MS in 1964. The final 20 years of her 26 year teaching career, were spent as a 2nd grade teacher at Pattengill School in Ann Arbor. Walter and Vina lived the majority of their 54 years of married life in Ann Arbor and moved to Florida after retirement. After Walter's death in 1989, Vina moved to Windsor Park.

Vina was a member of Wheaton Bible Church and the Hawthorn Garden Club, and was involved in many activities at Windsor. She loved and was active in Bible Studies, reading, traveling, gardening, genealogy and crafts, including, knitting, crocheting and quilting. Vina was a prayer warrior for her family, friends and missionaries around the world.

She is survived by two daughters, Joyce (Phil) Passon of Wheaton, and Sandra (Leo) Suchy of Milan MI., eight grandchildren: Cary Zavala, Kathy Boyer, Debbie Gagnon, Cindy Day, Barbara Hill, Greg Passon, Cheri Birkey and Melanie Young. Vina has 21 great grandchildren, and eight great great grandchildren. She was the adopted grandmother of the Mulu Haileab family and Tom Rinde family.

Vina was preceded in death by her dear husband, Walter, her parents, four brothers and one sister.

A visitation for Vina Krins will be held on Wednesday, April 19, from 3 until 7 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m. at Windsor Park , 124 Windsor Park Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. Interment will be held at Washtenong Memorial Park in Ann Arbor, MI where she will be buried beside her beloved husband.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB) Mission, P.O. Box 39800, Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9800; the Windsor Park Benevolent Fund , 124 Windsor Park Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188; or Friends Meeting of Ballplay Church, 157 Ballplay School Rd., Madisonville, TN 37385, Attn: Pastor Scott Knight.