1781 Benjamin Wenger, son of Joseph G Wenger and Barbara Hoover, was born on April 28, near Edom, Rockingham County, Virginia. [1]
1799 Benjamin Wenger and Mary Ann Mauck were married and lived near Edom, Rockingham County, Virginia. Benjamin and Mary resided at Dayton, Rockingham County, Virginia. [2]
1814 Benjamin Wenger and Jacob Blosser, privates in Capt. R. Harrison's Company, were fined for refusing to march into the service of the United States in August 1814 agreeable to the call'd, etc. The said Defendants appeared in Court and fined in the payment of $32.00. Benjamin, a private in Captain Reuben Harrison's Company who refused to March when ordered Agreeable to the General Order of the 29 June last was fined $96. [3] [4] [5]
1820 Benjamin Winger lived in Rockingham County, Virginia in a household with males: 4 (under 10) and 1 (26 thru 44); and females: 9 (10 thru 15), 1 (16 thru 25), and 1 (26 thru 44). [6]
1826 Benjamin Wenger was ordained as a Mennonite minister in the conservative branch of the Virginia Church that met in homes, rather than in churches. Benjamin wore a clawhammer coat and preached in German. [7] [8] [9]
1830 Benjamin Wenger lived in Rockingham County, Virginia in a household with males: 1 (5 thru 9), 2 (10 thru 14), 2 (15 thru 19), and 1 (40 thru 49); and females: 2 (5 thru 9), 2 (20 thru 29), and 1 (40 thru 49). [10]
1840 Benjamin Wenger lived in Rockingham County, Virginia in a household with free white males: 1 (15 thru 19) and 1 (50 thru 59); and free white females: 1 (15 thru 19), 1 (20 thru 29), and 1 (50 thru 59); and 1 slaves. [11] [12]
1850 Benjamin Wenger (age 69, born in Pennsylvania) lived in District 56, Rockingham County, Virginia, in a household with Ann Wenger (age 67). [13] [14]
1850 Mary Ann Wenger was buried in the Blosser Cemetery, Rockingham County, Virginia. [15] [16]
1855 Benjamin Wenger was the executor of the will of Jacob Sonefrank. [17]
1860 Benj Wenger (age 79, born in Virginia) lived in District 1, Rockingham County, Virginia, in a household with Danl Wenger (age 39), Sarah Wenger (age 39), Gideon Wenger (age 17), Benjamin Wenger (age 15), Samuel Wenger (age 13), Danl Wenger (age 12), Anna Wenger (age 10), Elizabeth Wenger (age 6), Sarah Wenger (age 4), and Solomon Wenger (age 2). [18]
1865 Benjamin Wenger was buried in the Blosser Cemetery, Dayton, Rockingham County, Virginia (Early Graveyard on the Luther Miller place 4 miles south of Harrisburg). [19] [20]
1865 A bond was made in Rockingham County by Benjamin and Ephraim Wenger and Peter and Jonas Blosser as executors for the estate of Benjamin Wenger. Dated September 15. [21]
1868 Benjamin Wenger Jr, executor of the will of Benjamin Wenger Sr of the County of Rockingham, sold land from the estate to Lewis Pence. The 34 acre tract was adjacent to lands of Coffman, Wright, and Whitmore. Dated February 24. [22]
1868 Benjamin Wenger Jr, executor of the will of Benjamin Wenger Sr of the County of Rockingham, sold land from the estate to Daniel Wenger. The 89 acre tract was adjacent to lands of Coffman, Daniel Wenger, Meyer (formerly), and Hedrick. Dated February 24. [23]
1868 Benjamin Wenger Jr, executor of the will of Benjamin Wenger Sr of the County of Rockingham, sold land from the estate to Raphael Myers. Dated February 24. [24]
Research Notes:
1864 A Benjamin Wenger's house was burned by General Sheridan (Union Army) in retaliation for the death of a Union officer, although this might refer to the son Benjamin Wenger, born 1811. [25]
A biosketch reports [26]:
Preacher Benjamin Wenger (1781-1865) was born in Northern District where he grew to manhood, married Mary Ann Mauck and lived near Edom, Virginia, for awhile. Later they moved to a point south of Harrisonburg. He was ordained to the ministry in 1826 by the conservative division of the Virginia Mennonites. It is reported that he wore a clawhammer coat and preached in the German language. He was one of the last German preachers in the Virginia church. He died in 1865 and was buried in the Early Graveyard on the Luther Miller place four miles south of Harrisonburg.
Mennonite records: [27]
[1] Samuel S. Wenger, The Wenger Book, A Foundation Book of American Wengers (1997 reprint), 181, person C99.
[2] Samuel S. Wenger, The Wenger Book, A Foundation Book of American Wengers (1997 reprint), 181.
[3] Rockingham court martials, [URL].
[4] No longer available. Originally found at Rootsweb.varockin/courtmartials.htm, Rockingham, Virginia Court martial.
[5] John Walter Wayland, David A. Heatwole, Virginia Valley records : genealogical and historical materials of Rockingham County, Virginia (1965), 131, [AncestryImage], [GoogleBooks].
[6] United States Federal Census, 1820, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[7] Samuel S. Wenger, The Wenger Book, A Foundation Book of American Wengers (1997 reprint), 181.
[8] James O. Lehman, Lindale's Song: A Century of Harmony, Growth, and Fellowship, 1898 to 1998 (1998), [GoogleBooks].
[9] Harry Anthony Brunk, History of Mennonites in Virginia, Vol. 1, 81, [HathiTrust].
[10] United States Federal Census, 1830, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[11] United States Federal Census, 1840, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[12] United States Federal Census, 1850, [AncestryRecord].
[13] United States Federal Census, 1850, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[14] United States Federal Census, 1850, [AncestryRecord].
[15] Find A Grave Memorial 63323301, [FindAGrave].
[16] Find A Grave Memorial at Ancestry.com, [AncestryRecord].
[17] John Walter Wayland, David A. Heatwole, Virginia Valley records : genealogical and historical materials of Rockingham County, Virginia (1965), 433, [AncestryImage], [GoogleBooks].
[18] United States Federal Census, 1860, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[19] Find A Grave Memorial 63323313, [FindAGrave].
[20] Find A Grave Memorial at Ancestry.com, [AncestryRecord].
[21] Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900, [AncestryRecord].
[22] Rockingham County, Virginia Deed 3-390, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[23] Rockingham County, Virginia Deed 3-413, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[24] Rockingham County, Virginia Deed 4-323, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[25] John Walter Wayland, David A. Heatwole, Virginia Valley records : genealogical and historical materials of Rockingham County, Virginia (1965), 189, [AncestryImage], [GoogleBooks].
[26] Harry Anthony Brunk, History of Mennonites in Virginia, Vol. 1, 99, 206, [HathiTrust].
[27] Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Genealogical Card File (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), [AncestryRecord].