John Marcus Wingert

John was born on August 9, 1872 in Black Hawk County, Iowa with only his mother for a parent. His father, Marcus Michael Wingert had died on August 5, 1872 leaving his poor mother a widow at 40 and him without a living father. He was the 11th child born to Marcus and Katherine (Diebold) Wingert and it is a testament to the courage and perseverance of the mother and family that they were able to survive and prosper.

On February 20, 1900 he married Katherine Mueller (sometimes listed as Miller).

John had sold 107 acres in Iowa to acquire ½ section (320 acres) located 1 ½ miles West and ½ mile North of Englefeld, Saskatchewan. The entire family including children Agnes, Charles, Joe, Genevieve and Marc left for Canada by rail on November 10, 1909, traveling in a passenger car. A separate box car carried a dog, two Percheron horses and farm implements including a new Deering binder, a discer a harrow, gang and walking plows plus hay, oats and water for the horses. They were leaving their farm in Iowa for a new life on a farm they were to establish on 320 acres near Englefeld, Saskatchewan. At the time, the land was just opening up and was being put into cultivation for the first time. The Saskatchewan Home Index Search (SHIP) lists a J. M. Wingert as homesteading the NE Part of Section 6, Township 36, Range 19 West of the Second Meridian as the most likely filing.

According to John's son Joe, the family initially stayed in a house on brother Charlie's land which had a house on it already built by homesteader Jake Schmitz. A SHIP search shows a Jacob Schmitz as the original homesteader of the SW part of the same Section near Englefeld. Curiously, an obituary for Charles Wingert (John's brother) indicates that he lived his entire life in Blackhawk County, Iowa. Perhaps he purchased the land without ever farming it himself; part of the story is that John farmed Charlie's land and grew oats and barley and raised cows and steers. The first two cows were purchased for $25 each in 1911 from the $1,300 proceeds of the sale of household effects in Iowa. When one of the cows was sold for $158 in 1916, John reportedly remarked "It's not worth that!" The first buildings built were a barn and a machine shed. In 1916 a two storey 30' x 32' house was constructed by Stadelmann Brothers with some assistance from the older Wingert children. Ultimately the farm was sold in 1938 at a price of $3,500 and John and Katherine and three remaining daughters moved into Englefeld. He died on July 29, 1945 and is buried in Holy Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Cemetery in Englefeld, Saskatchewan.

John and his wife Katherine had a large family, although this was not unusual in that time. A list of the children including dates of birth and death has been compiled by their granddaughter, Lois Wingert Kelln and is attached. Most were long-lived, with the exceptions of Ralph, who died as an infant and Agnes who lived to only 52. They, and their descendants, lived across most of the country from British Columbia to Quebec in keeping with that roaming spirit which has characterized our family since they left the Alsace-Lorraine area of France in the 1830's.








WINGERT SIBLINGS


Children of John M. and Katherine Wingert


Agnes (Schmitz) b. May 17, 1901 in Gilbertville, Iowa d. Nov. 20, 1953

Charles b. July 5, 1902 in Gilbertville, Iowa
d. Oct. 20, 1978

Joseph Mathias b. Oct. 30, 1903 in Gilbertville, Iowa d. Jan. 27, 1990

Genevieve (Cooke) b. Dec. 21, 1905 in Gilbertville, Iowa d. Aug. 1989

Marcus b. June 20, 1909 in Gilbertville, Iowa
d. Apr. 12, 1995

Lawrence b. Feb. 4, 1911 in Engelfeld, SK
d. Aug. 22, 2008

Margaret b. Feb. 13, 1913 in Engelfeld, SK
d. 2006?

William (Bill) b. Mar. 12, 1916 in Engelfeld, SK d. Dec. 29, 2007

Helen (Weber) b. May 21, 1918 in Engelfeld, SK d. Feb. 20, 2003

Loretta (Dennis) b. Apr. 15, 1920 in Engelfeld, SK d. Apr. 12, 1903

Marcella (Villeneuve) b. June 16, 1923 in Engelfeld, SK d. Dec. 3, 1912

Raphael (Ralph) b. Apr. 18, 1927 in Engelfeld, SK d. Dec. 25, 1927