John "Jack" Martin Wenger

John “Jack” M. Wenger, 77, of Palmyra and formerly of Harrisburg, entered into eternal life on Tuesday, March 18th 2014 at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center with family by his side.

Born in Lancaster on March 4, 1937, he was the son of the late John H. Wenger and Dorothy (Brubaker) Wenger.

He was a graduate of Elizabethtown High School where he played on the football team and was in the band, orchestra, and jazz band.

He went on to attend Juniata College, Franklin & Marshall College, and studied abroad at the Albert Ludwig Universitate in Freiburg, West Germany.

Over the years, John had several occupations including a position as the Assistant Director of the Lancaster Chapter of ACES, but his true passion was studying and teaching the German culture and language, and was able to speak the language fluently.

He was deeply interested in studying Genealogy and spent many years researching his family’s Swiss-German roots in great detail.

As a member of various German, Historical & Genealogical groups and societies, he formed many international friends and relationships.

John was an avid fisherman in his younger years and had a true love of the outdoors. He and his daughter Rebecca enjoyed many camping and fishing trips together.

Always the scholar, John spent HOURS with his nose buried in history books and capturing his thoughts in his diary.
His other interests included religion, astronomy, poetry, classical music, politics, stamp and coin collecting, flea markets, and BASEBALL!
He was a season pass holder and familiar face at Harrisburg Senators Baseball for many years and will surely be missed by many folks at the ballpark.

He’ll be missed most of all by his caring only child, Rebecca (Wenger) DeWees, wife of David DeWees, two grandchildren, David John and Rachel Louise DeWees (who were the “apples of each of his blue eyes”), Palmyra, and his only sibling, a sister, S. Joy Boulton, wife of James Boulton, Mount Joy, and nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Auf Wiedersehen, until we meet again!

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 29th at 11 AM at Miller-Sekely Funeral Home & Crematory, 130 N. Market St., Elizabethtown, PA 17022 with Father Michael Scalzi officiating. Family and friends are invited for visitation following the Celebration of Life. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family in West Greentree Cemetery, Elizabethtown.