Corine A Bien
Corine Adrienne Bien, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and sister, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on November 29th, 2024. Born on December 20th, 1940 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, she was the cherished daughter of the late Mark and Adeline (Nussberger) Maguire.
She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and Durand High School, graduating at the top of her class. She married her high school sweetheart, Ronald L. Bien, on June 10th, 1959, beginning a lifelong partnership. Together, they shared a dream of having a large, happy family, which they accomplished with great pride.
Corine was a selfless, gracious, humble woman of deep faith. Soft-spoken, she applied a tender, yet intentional touch to all that she did, which left an indelible mark on every generation in her family. She was known to be classy and quick-witted, compassionate, scholarly and always curious. Corine had a playful spirit that nurtured the child in all of us and was known to live life through the eyes of a child. Her loving acts of kindness were a living example to the generations of children in the family. Corine’s commitment to faith and family will be her living legacy.
She always looked forward to time spent with family and friends - playing games, cooking, gardening, traveling, and supporting her grandchildren’s interests. Corine was a gifted writer and was delighted to participate in a book club and to gather with close friends. She also enjoyed challenging herself with puzzles, games, painting, art projects and playing cards. She was known to be quite a “card-shark”!
Her professional life was marked by her dedicated service as the Register in Probate for Pepin County for nearly 40 years, a position she held with distinction until her retirement in 2007. During her tenure, she served four judges and formed lasting friendships with them and many colleagues. In her retirement, she volunteered at school, church, elections and other community events.
Corine is survived by her husband of 65 years, Ronald, and their seven children: Debbie (Brian) Bechel of Durand, Diane Hunter (Randy Matherne, special friend) of Eau Claire, Lisa (Paul) Bien-Sinz of Stillwater, MN, Laurie (Kirk) Harmon of Eau Claire, Steve (Kristine) Bien of Eau Claire, Shawn Schemenauer (Nick Blair, special friend) of Chippewa Falls, and Becky (Travis) Bien-Jilek of Eau Claire and brother, Brendan (Carol) Maguire of Geneva, IL. Her legacy continues through her 18 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. Corine was preceded in death by her parents, mother and father in-law Luella and Jack Bien, brother in-law John Bien, sister in-law and husband Rose and Tom Harris, sister in-law Carol Besse, son in-law Ronald Hunter, grandson Devin Bien, and dear family friend, James Bresina.
Corine made a lasting impact on the lives of family and friends and her footprints will forever be in the sand and in our hearts.
Visitation will be Wednesday, December 4th, 4-7pm at Rhiel Funeral Home in Durand, WI. Funeral services will be Thursday, December 5th, 11:30am at St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Eau Claire, WI, with public visitation one hour before. Immediately following the ceremony, a private burial will be held at St. Mary’s Assumption Church cemetery in Durand, WI. The funeral service can be viewed by live-stream at https://youtube.com/live/ZLFvBkpBals?feature=share.
The family would like to extend their appreciation to the nursing staff at Mayo Clinic Health System- Eau Claire for the gentle care provided.
Condolences can be mailed to Ron Bien, 342 Twin Oak Dr #117, Altoona, WI 54720.
Rhiel Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Durand, is serving the family.