Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271433
Title: John L. Wegner
Date: 7/18/1937-1/16/2025
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 7/18/1937
Summary: John Wegner, 87, of Dickinson, ND, passed away January 16, 2025, at CHI St. Alexius Hospital in Dickinson. A funeral service was held January 25, 2025, at St. John Lutheran Church in Dickinson with Pastor Lisa Lewton and Pastor Mary Wiggins officiating. John Ludwig Wegner was born in Reeder, ND, on July 18, 1937, to Arthur and Elizabeth (Farber). John grew up on a farm in Cedar Creek Township, Slope County, along with his three older sisters. John was baptized and confirmed at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in New England. He attended a country grade school where his oldest sister Elvera was the teacher. He graduated from New England high school in 1955. In high school John played basketball. He went out for track but made to run a mile in practice, never went back. John was in FFA, attending the 1953 national convention in Kansas City with President Eisenhower addressing the gathering. John attended the State College of Science in Wahpeton before coming home to farm with his father. He soon purchased the Art Kenitzer farmstead ten miles north of Reeder. To that farm he brought his bride whom he married on June 14, 1958. John and Mildred Davidson were married at the Hettinger Lutheran Church with Pastor O.C. Rolfson officiating. John’s dad had to go with him to Amidon to get the marriage license since John was not yet 21 years old. The wedding party included Harley and Avis Frantsen, Elton Davidson, Lawrence Stafford, Joyce Anne Espeseth and Marlys Wifall (Corhouse). Through many seasons John and Mildred farmed and ranched. Mildred stayed home from her teaching job and together they raised their three sons, Steven, Scott and Tim. John believed that a good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed later. The wheat might be a little green or wet, but he couldn’t stand to wait. Endless hours were spent on the International WD9 taking a month to seed what decades later took two or three days. John related the story of seeding when he was around twelve years old. As he went around the field he came across the drill which had unhooked the round before. His dad was mad and asked him in German how he could go an entire round without realizing he had lost the drill. John and Mildred were members of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Reeder where he served on various boards. He also served on the Reeder school board, Whetstone Township board, and the West River Health Services Foundation board in Hettinger. In 1977 John was recognized with the Agriculturalist Achievement Award at NDSU and in 1995 the Adams County Soil Conservation Award. John’s childhood dream was to be a pilot. His dream became a reality and he enjoyed several years of flying to look over the grain fields and check on the cattle in his Piper Cherokee Warrior. After over forty years on the farm John and Mildred built their retirement home in Dickinson, moving the end of 1999. In Dickinson they were members of St. John Lutheran Church. John made many trips to the farm to help, especially during harvest. After finally retiring John still drove out to the farm to work on restoring his 1948 Oliver tractor, which he had driven home new from New England when he was eleven years old. John is survived by his wife, Mildred; son, Steven and his wife Carol, Reeder, ND, and their daughter, McKenna; son, Scott and his wife Tracy, Bismarck, ND, and their children, Alex, Sarah and Lauren and Dylin Clooten and their daughter Laya; son Tim and his wife Sonita, Dickinson, and their daughter, Amy and their son Kyle and fiancée McKenzie. John is also survived by sisters, Elvera Eidsvoog (Dickinson), Hazel (Bob) Moss (San Antonio, TX) and Margaret Selland (Dickinson); sister-in-law, Avis Frantsen (Hazen); and brothers-in-law, Donald (Elaine) Davidson, Tucson, AZ and Lester (Cindy) Davidson, Fort Mill, SC; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents; mother and father-in-law; brothers-in-law, Bob Eidsvoog, Dennis Selland, Harley Frantsen and Elton Davidson; and sister-in-law, Sue Davidson.
Red ID: FND_I_78923 Image ID: 520848 Image Notes: FND001 271433

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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