Erna Maiden, age 90, a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother (Oma), and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 6, 2025, in Lompoc, CA. She had just happily moved back in September to be near all her family after 8 years of living in Springfield, Missouri. She was so happy to celebrate her 90th birthday on Oct 11th back home here in VV with a party at her daughter’s house with all her family present, and friends she hadn’t seen in 8 years, she was the Queen that day!

She was born on October 11, 1935, in Germany to the late Hermann and Elfrieda Kienast and lived mostly in Augsburg, Germany. She moved to Lompoc from Germany in 1977 with her husband Jimmie and their 5 children. Erna met husband Jimmie while he was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. They married in 1963 in Augsburg, Germany. They were stationed all over the US and in Okinawa, Japan. Also, a tour back to Germany for a second time in Mannheim. They moved to Lompoc from Mannheim in 1977 when Jimmie retired from the Army to raise their children in Vandenberg Village.

Erna worked in different fields, as a waitress, a bartender at the Village Pump Room, and as a security guard on VAFB for Stovall Security. Erna truly loved being a homemaker the most. She was an amazing cook who could spin gold out of straw with simple ingredients as her kids would say. Her German food was everyone’s favorite, especially at Christmas time. In her younger years, she would sew clothes for her kids and her daughter, Barbie’s and baby dolls as well. She could crochet and knit beautiful items for her kids to wear, from vests and hats to sweaters. In her early years, Erna loved watching General Hospital, bowling on a league with her Jimmie, playing Bridge and Pinochle with friends, and Yahtzee, which she was very good at. In her later years, she enjoyed Old Westerns and Sunday Football, betting a quarter on games with her youngest son, Andy, who in later years became her steadfast caregiver. If you knew anything about Erna, she was the model for resilience and survival no matter what the situation or circumstance. We all learned that from her.

‍Erna was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Liesbeth Bowie, Irmgard Acuna, brothers: Werner Kienast and Walter Kienast, her Husband Jimmie Maiden, her eldest son Ronnie, and her youngest daughter Nina.

‍She is survived by her daughter Evelyn (Alex), her sons, Ray (Melanie), Andy (Lynnae), 12 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren who adored their Oma and Great Oma.

A memorial service will take place at 1 pm, Monday, January 19, 202,6 at the Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, Lompoc, CA. Inurnment will be at the Lompoc Cemetery, Lompoc.