Individual Details

John Wenger

(27 Nov 1864 - 5 Jan 1955)

John Wengers Observe Golden Anniversary

Fifty years ago Sunday, Minnie Peters became Mrs. John Wenger —and the bridesmaid and best man were both here to help celebrate the Wenger golden wedding anniversary on August 23. Among those who gathered at the Wenger home on North Cedar street Sunday were Mr. and Mrs. Ed Eilers, attendants at the ceremony in 1892. The Eilers, themselves, will celebrate a golden wedding in March.
August 23 was the twentieth wedding anniversary of the Wenger's daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Celan Rollins, of Marion, They were present at Sunday's family gathering. Those here Sunday who were also present at the wedding in 1892 were: Godfrey Wenger, Ryan; Mrs. Flora Hamblin, Manchester; Mrs. Jake Widmer, Monticello; Mrs. Lillian Hurt , George Peters, Cedar Rapids; Mrs. Augusta Kellogg, Waterloo.
A large framed wedding certificate hanging in the Wenger home shows that the marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. E. E. Gruenstein of the Reformed church, in the Monticello home of the bride.
Mrs. Wenger is a life-long resident of Monticello. Mr. Wenger came here from Switzerland at the age of 17. Their entire married life has been spent here. They have two children, Mrs. C. H. Rollins, Marion, and Mrs. Edna McCoy, Monticello, and one grandchild, Donald McCoy, who is serving with the army air corps.

Events

Birth27 Nov 1864Switzerland
Census1885Jones, Iowa, United States
Immigration1886
Marriage23 Aug 1892Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)1895Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)Jun 1900Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)22 Apr 1910Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)14 Jan 1920Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)1925Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)1930Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Census (family)1940Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Elizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters
Death5 Jan 1955John McDonald Hospital, Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States
Burial8 Jan 1955Oakwood Cemetery, Jones, Iowa, United States

Families

SpouseElizabeth Wilhemina "Minnie" Peters (1874 - 1956)
ChildEdna Ann Wenger (1894 - 1966)
ChildByrdena Marie Wenger (1896 - 1993)
FatherJohn Wenger ( - )
MotherAnna Hadovan ( - )
SiblingLizzie Wenger (1869 - )

Notes

Birth

1866 (marriage record)

Census

Iowa State Census, Castle Grove
10 Wenger John 28 ? M S Switzerland F F Alien

Same person, or who?

Marriage

Monticello Express - Monticello, Iowa - Aug 25 1892
Mr. John Wenger and Miss Minnie Peters were married at the residence of the bride's parents Mr. and Mrs. Herman Peters, last Tuesday evening. A large company of invited quests were present. Rev. E. E. Gruenstein preformed the marriage ceremony.

Peters Minnie to Wenger John, 23 Aug 1892, Monticello, 3172, 82, Switzerland, Monticello
Peters Minnie
parents: Peters Herman and Ferricks Anna
Wenger John
parents: Wenger John and Hadovan Anna

Witnesses: Anna Peters & Ed Eilers

Census (family)

23 6 6 Wenger John 30 M M Germany F F Laborer "
24 Wenger Minnie 20 F M Jones Iowa " " "
25 Wenger Edna A 0 F S " " N "
26 Petters Gusta 17 F S " F F "

Census (family)

SD 5, ED 58, sheet 9 A Monticello City 2nd ward.
193, 194 Wenger, John, Head, WM Nov 1853, 36, Married 8 yrs, Ger, Ger, Ger, 1886, 14 yrs, Na, Section near RR, yes to all, Own mortgage house.
Minnie, Wife, WF, Dec 1875, 24, M8, 2 child born & living, Iowa, Ger, Ger.
Edna, Daughter, WF, May 1894, 6, Iowa, Ger, Iowa
Berbena, Daughter, WF, Mar 1896, 4, Iowa, Ger, Iowa

Census (family)

SD 5, ED ?6 Sheet 11A, Monticello City Ward 2
Cedar Street
25, 25 Wenger, John Head MW, 45, Married 18 yrs Switzerland, Switzerland, Switzerland, 1882 Na, English, Foreman RR section, Own free house
Minnie E. Wife FW 35, M-18, 2 child born & living, Iowa Ger Ger, English
Edna Daughter FW 15, Single, Iowa, Switzerland, Iowa
Byrdena M. Daughter FW 14, Single, Iowa, Switzerland, Iowa

Census (family)

SD 5, ED 73 Sheet 9B, Monticello City Ward 2
North Cedar Street

207, 220 Wenger, John Head O F 55 Switzerland, Switzerland, Switzerland, Un Un (NA)
Minnie E. Wife 45 Iowa, Germany (Witmund?) Germany (Witmund?)
Byrdena M. Daughter 23 Iowa, Switzerland, Iowa

John was a Track Foreman for a Steam Railroad
Byrdena an Instructor at a Public Grade School

Census (family)

6 WENGER JOHN 60 SWI H WENGER, JOHN SWI
7 WENGER MINNIE 50 IA W PETERS, HERMAN GER FERRIX, ANNA GER GER

Census (family)

John Wenger Head M 65 Switzerland
Minnie Wenger Wife F 55 Iowa

Census (family)

John Wenger Head M 75 Switzerland
Minnie Wenger Wife F 65 Iowa
Edna Mccoy Daughter F 45 Iowa
Donald Mccoy Grandson M 16 Iowa

Death

Saturday Service For John Wenger

Services were held Saturday afternoon for John Wenger, 90, who died at John McDonald hospital Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 5, following a brief illness. Services were conducted at the First Presbyterian church by the Rev. W. Russell Hunter and burial was at Oakwood cemetery.
Born, November 27, 1864, he was a son of John and Anna Hadorn Wenger. His parents migrated to the United States and during this time he lived with his grandparents in Switzerland. When he was 17 he too came to this country and became naturalized.
On August 23, 1892, he was married to Minnie E. Peters in the Herman Peters home by the Rev. Gruenstein, formerly of Monticello. They became the parents of two daughters, Mrs. Edna McCoy of Monticello and Mrs. Byrdena Rollins of Marion.
The family made it home in the Monticello community and farmed before Mr. Wenger became employed with the Milwaukee railroad. He retired from railroad service 22 years ago, after service as a construction foreman.
Mr. Wenger was the oldest of twelve children, three having died in infancy. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Barnts and Mrs. Anna Widmer, also three grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife Minnie, two daughters, five brothers, Godfrey, Chris, and Ed of Manchester, William of Monticello and Carl of Ryan; one sister, Mrs. Flora Hamblin of Manchester, and one grandson, Capt. D. P. McCoy stationed in California. He is also survived by two great grandchildren. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church of Monticello. Casket bearers included William, Scheele. William Wolken. Earnest Wahl, John Hines, C. L. Norlin and Ray Chaplin.

Burial

Jones County Gravestone Records

Page: 202
Name: John Wenger
Death Date: 19 Sep 1906
Age: 68
Cemetery: Oakwood
Town: Lovell

Endnotes

1. 1900 Federal Census, Iowa, Jones Co. (read by Nancy Prouty, Nov. 24, 2000).

2. US Population Census - Iowa, Jones Co., 1920 (read Dec 17, 2001 by Nancy Prouty).

3. 1885 State Census, Iowa, Jones Co. Ln=Line Number Dw=Dwelling number Fm=Family number Tw=Township Rn=Range Se=Section Loc=Location M=Marital status Fa=Father (Native/Foreign) Mo=Mother (Native/Foreign) (transcribed by Don Thomson for Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/census/85castle.htm 2002).

4. 1900 Federal Census, Iowa, Jones Co. (read by Nancy Prouty, Nov. 24, 2000).

5. 1900 Federal Census, Iowa, Jones Co. (read by Nancy Prouty, Nov. 24, 2000).

6. Jones Co. Iowa marriage books, online. BOOK D 1877-1884 :: BOOK E 1884-1891 :: BOOK F 1891-1898 (USGenWeb 2002.).

7. Family history; from personal knowledge of Byrdena Wenger Rollins (975 18th St., Marion, Iowa, 52302),; provided Feb 26, 1991.

8. 1895 Iowa State Census. Castle Grove Township PAGES 44-67 + 931 Monticello Township PAGES 463-490 Monticello City PAGES 494-515, PAGES 516-537 Scotch Grove PAGES 753-776 (transcribed by Joanne Wilken http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/census/census.htm 2002).

9. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1900 > Iowa > JONES > 2-WD MONTICELLO Series: T623 Roll: 440 Page: 128.

10. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1910 > Iowa > JONES > 2-WD MONTICELLO Series: T624 Roll: 409 Page: 127 .

11. US Population Census - Iowa, Jones Co., 1920 (read Dec 17, 2001 by Nancy Prouty).

12. Jones Co. Iowa Census, Jones Co. Iowa GenWeb online [http://iowajones.org/census/census.htm], accessed.

13. Oakwood Cemetery burial list, US Genweb and Jones Co. Genealogy Society online http://iowajones.org/cemetery/Oakwood03.htm], accessed March 2008.

14. Hanssen, G. L., Accokeek, MD, The Hanssens of Eastern Iowa, a family history. (Waldorf, MD: R.A. Hanssen Printing, August 2000), p 155.

15. "Saturday Service For John Wenger," Monticello (Iowa) Express, 10 January 1955; Ross & Elizabeth Baty Public Library (http://batypl.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 16 February 2011), Newspaper Digital Archives.

16. Oakwood Cemetery burial list, US Genweb and Jones Co. Genealogy Society online http://iowajones.org/cemetery/Oakwood03.htm], accessed March 2008.