OBIT: John S. WENGERD, 1945, Elk Lick Twp., Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library. Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ ________________________________________________ JOHN S. WENGERD Sudden Death of John S. Wengerd Well Known Elk Lick Township Farmer and Roofing Contractor John S. Wengerd, well known farmer and roofing contractor of Elk Lick Township, died at his home near Salisbury at about 12:40 p.m. on Friday, May 25th, of coronary thrombosis. Mr. Wengerd had been planting corn, assisted by his wife, near their house, and about noon he told his wife he didn't feel very well, and would finish the job in the afternoon. He went into his home to lie on a couch. His wife finished covering the corn already planted, and prepared the noon meal before calling him. When she called, he did not answer, and investigation showed him to have passed away. He had been suffering from coronary thrombosis for about three years. Mr. Wengerd was born in Holmes County, Ohio, on April 26, 1880, son of Stephen M. and Elizabeth (Shetler) Wengerd, and was 65 years and 29 days in age at his death. He was married to the former Lydia Beachy, and was a faithful lay member of the Beachy Amish Church ever since he came to this vicinity many years ago. Soon after coming to this section, Mr. Wengerd purchased the large farm two miles west of Salisbury, known as the Bissell farm, the ancestral farm of Editor and Publisher W. S. Livengood of the Meyersdale Republican. Upon this farm, Mr. Livengood's grandfather, John C. Livengood, erected a large brick farm house in 1858, in which Editor Livengood was born a few years later, and which still stands and is one of the largest and best farm houses in Elk Lick Township. After Mr. Wengerd became the owner of this farm and moved into the large brick mansion, he built a smaller frame dwelling alongside of it, to house his aged parents. After his father was deceased and his family was grown up, Mr. Wengerd rented the big brick house to his farm manager and family and he and his wife moved into the smaller house still occupied by his aged mother, where he lived the last few years of his life. About 30 years ago, Mr. Wengerd started in the roofing and spouting business, putting on roofs at first for his neighbors. He did the job so well and was so fair in his dealings, that his business grew rapidly until in recent years he was putting on iron roofs not only in Somerset County, but in neighboring counties, and was very well known over a wide area. Mr. Wengerd was always quick to see the advantage in improvements and modernization, and took the lead in more than one instance in securing modern conveniences. Working near Confluence when rural electrification was being installed there, he saw what it would mean to the farmers of Elk Lick Township to have electricity on their farms, and was very active in bringing REA into this section. In addition to his wife and his mother, he is survived by three daughters: Annie, wife of Jacob Petersheim, Oakland, Md.; Sadie, wife of Joel T. Hershberger, Jr., and Elizabeth, wife of Andrew Hershberger, both of Lynn Haven, Va.; two sons, Allen J., of Springs, and Menno J., at home, and two brothers, Levi of Somerset and Allen of Millersburg, Ohio. Funeral services were conducted at his church on Tuesday, May 29th and interment was made in the church cemetery in charge of William Winterberg, Grantsville mortician. Meyersdale Republican, May 31, 1945