Bios: WENNER, John 1816- : Van Camp, Columbia Co, PA

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Battle, J.H.  History of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania.
Chicago: A.W.  Warner & Co., 1887

JOHN WENNER, farmer, P.O. Van Camp, was born in Butler Twp, Luzerne Co.,
Oct. 2, 1816.  His great-grandfather emigrated from Germany before the
Revolution and acquired quite a property which he sold, receiving
payment in continental money, and, of course, lost all.  His son,
Christian, who was born in Snyder County, PA,  was a soldier in the
Revolution, and after that struggle settled on his farm in his native
county.   Later he moved to Butler Twp, Luzerne Co. where he died.  (He is
buried at St. John's Church, Drums.)  His family were Jacob, Andrew,
Daniel, George, Christian, Leonare, Jonas, Catherine, Regina and
Barbara, all of whom are deceased.  Jacob was the father of John, and
was born in Snyder Co. in Apr. 1786; died in Sept. 1865, aged 79 years
and 5 months.  His wife was born in Mar. 1795, and died in March, 1865,
within a few days of her 70th year.  Jacob Wenner was a soldier in the
War of 1812, but the war closed  before he saw active service.  When he
was 16 years old he came to Butler Twp, Luzerne Co., with his parents.
He was always a farmer, working for his father and others until he was
27 years of age.  He then married Elizabeth, daughter of Michael
Beishline, of Butler Twp.  After his marriage he bought a farm in that
county on which he resided 5 years.  His father-in-law had bought a
tract of 300 acres of land in this county and Jacob came here in 1817
and bought 10 acres of that land; later bought 118 acres more.  Here he
put up a house on the place where his son John now lives and here he
passed the remainder of his life.   He was an honest, upright man, a member
of the German Reformed Church in Van Camp, of which he had been for
years a deacon and elder.  His wife was also a member of the same
church.  They were the parents of the following named children: Jacob;
Daniel, who lives in this twp; Magdalena, deceased wife of Benjamin
Hess; Susanna, deceased wife of Elias Pealer; Elizabeth and Sarah, both
died young, and John.   Of these John, our subject, is the second son and
has passed his entire life within a mile of where he now resides, and
has always followed farming.  On his marriage he removed to a farm
adjoining his father's which he had purchased and on which he resided 11
years.  He then purchased a farm on the other side of his father's to
which he moved and on which he lived 9 years.  He then bought the home
farm, which had been inherited by his brother Daniel, and there has
since lived.  Aug. 10, 1838, he married Eve Cope, who died Apr. 9, 1856,
leaving 8 children, one child, Matilda, had died prior.  The survivors
are Rachel, wife of Charles Kindig; Michael, married to Rosanna Hosler,
Elias, married to Susanna Bender; Margaret, widow of Leonard Kline;
Jacob married to Elizabeth Robbins;  Susanna, wife of J. Ogden Wilson;
Sarah, wife of Wesley Eveland and resides in Huntington Twp, Luzerne
Co., and Melinda, wife of Joseph Deitrich, all residing in this twp.,
except Sarah.  June 13, 1858, Mr Wenner married, as his second wife,
Sarah, widow of William Kauff and daughter of Jacob Huntsinger, of
Sullivan Co., and who was born June 22, 1814.  No children were born to
this union, but Mrs. Wenner has two children by her first husband -
Amelia Ann, wife of Simon Myers, residing in Williamsport, and David who
married Charlotte Hartman and is a merchant at Bendertown.  Mr. Wenner
has always led a quiet and peaceable life.  He has never identified
himself with politics, but has been elected to many township offices.  He
is treasurer of the Fishingcreek Mutual Fire Insurance Co., of which he
was one of the organizers.  He and Mrs. Wenner are members of the German
Reformed Church, of which for about forty years he was an elder and
deacon.  In the community in which his life has been passed Mr. Wenner
bears the record of an upright and good citizen.