A biosketch of grandson Clement D Wenger reports [1]:
Some five generations ago his remote ancestors came to this locality (Rockingham County, Virginia) from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His grandfather was Benjamin Wenger, who spent his active life as a farmer. In physique, he was large of frame and strong, and a typical man of the soil. The Wengers for generations have been strong adherents of the Mennonite Church and Benjamin was a deacon of the congregation of Pike church. He married Barbara Blosser and their children were Noah, Abram Blosser and Magdalena. The daughter was the wife of Thomas Head.
Abram B. Wenger, father of Clement D., was born on his father's farm near Harrisonburg [Rockingham County]. His children still own that farm. …
1841 Benjamin Wenger was ordained in the Mennonite Church. [2]
1850 Benjamin Wenger (age 39, born in Virginia) lived in District 56, Rockingham County, Virginia, in a household with Barbara Wenger (age 40), Noah Wenger (age 14), Abram Wenger (age 11), Magdalene Wenger (age 4), and Jacob Allebaugh (age 49). [3] Living nearby were Abraham and Ann Blosser.
1860 Benj Wenger (age 49, born in Virginia) lived in District 1, Rockingham County, Virginia, in a household with Barbara Wenger (age 50), Abram Wenger (age 21), Magdalene Wenger (age 13), and Mary A Brown (age 35). [4]
1864 Benjamin Wenger of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Virginia supplied substantial provisions to the Union Army of the Shenandoah under the command of Majors General Hunter and Sheridan. His testimony was dated November 9, 1871, so this must be Benjamin (1811-1880). [5] Benjamin's testimony indicated that he was a Union sympathizer and included the following:
15. Went to Ohio in Sept 1 1864 farmed while there & returned to my home in Rockingham Co. Va in July 1865.
18. Confed. troops used to pasture on my land. Sometimes I was paid & sometimes not.
19. Never was threatened on account of my union sentiments.
22. I always fed union soldiers, treated them kindly whenever they came near.
1880 Benjamin Wenger, child of Benjamin, died, at age 69 in July, 1880. [6]
1880 Benjamin Wenger died on July 9, 1880, at age 69y 1m 10d, and was buried at Blosser Cemetery, Dayton, Rockingham County, Virginia. [7]
1894 Barbara Wenger died on June 26?, 1894, at age 84y ?m 22d, and was buried at Blosser Cemetery, Dayton, Rockingham County, Virginia. [8]
[1] Philip Alexander Bruce, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Richard Lee Morton, History of Virginia, Vol. 4 (American Historical Society, 1924), 374, [GoogleBooks].
[2] Harry Anthony Brunk, History of Mennonites in Virginia, Vol. 1, 104, [HathiTrust].
[3] United States Federal Census, 1850, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[4] United States Federal Census, 1860, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[5] U.S., Southern Claims Commission Allowed Claims, 1871-1880, 50 pages of documentation, [AncestryRecord].
[6] Rockingham County, Virginia Deaths, 1878-1885, [AncestryRecord].
[7] Find A Grave Memorial 63323279, [FindAGrave].
[8] Find A Grave Memorial 63323269, [FindAGrave].