Chris Wegner began his life in Lutzenberg, Germany, April 26, 1883. His parents were Hinrich Friedrich Karl Wegner and Magdalena Margaretha Johanna Ahrens. His given name was Karl Friedrich Christian Wegner.
In a letter received from Chris� daughter, Lucy she stated that Chris had told her, �at the age of 10 he was hired out to a farmer with whom he stayed. He got up early in the morning to go out and milk and feed the cows and other chores before he went to school. After school, he did more work on the farm. At the end of the week, Dad�s' father visited the farmer and took the wages for their family support.
I don't know how long this lasted but Dad often told me about this to let me know that we were a lot better off than he was as a child, and that was his goal, to make a better life for his children than he had�.
He arrived in the United States aboard the vessel Batavia June 6, 1906, via Ellis Island. Chris entered the United States on a visitation visa; he couldn�t get a work visa because he was of age for military service (WWI). Upon naturalization, his name was shortened to �Chris�.
He had red hair and freckles as a young man and loved to dance and play cards.
He lived with his brother and grandfather in Cheney, Kansas. Chris worked for Rock Island Rail Road, then Bedendorf Shops. He learned to read and write English by looking at the pictures and names on canned food labels.
He then farmed for a company from Iowa. This company bought some land around Hereford, TX and Chris moved there around 1927-28. The land adjoined the property of H. B. Medley.
In 1934 Chris eloped with Martha Elizabeth Medley, only daughter of H.B. Medley, against her father�s wishes. Chris was 24 years older than Martha. Martha was considered "an old maid school teacher" when she and Chris eloped, although she was not quite 27 then.
They were married January 2, 1934 in Clovis, New Mexico. That date was inscribed in her wedding ring: 1-2-34.
Chris farmed on rented land between Hereford and Vega, TX. He was a dry-land wheat farmer. The bank sold the property he was renting, so he went to work in a factory that built and repaired farm equipment.
The family was very active in the Lutheran Church in Hereford. Chris helped build the Lutheran Church building in Hereford.
His foreman owned land in Quitman, AR. Around 1948-49, Chris traded his house and land in Hereford for the land in Quitman (for which he also had to pay off the mortgage) and began farming in Quitman.
The family moved from Quitman to Rison, where Martha was teaching, in 1954.
While in Rison, Chris was caretaker of Greenwood Cemetery until his death 10-13-1961. Chris had 4 grandchildren at the time of his death, and his daughter and both daughters-in-law were pregnant.
Her great-great-grandfather, Ambrose Medley was said to have built the rock chimney for his house, "Locust Shade" before going off to fight in the Revolutionary War in 1776. Upon returning, he built a six-room house around the chimney, having corner fireplaces in the four rooms on the first floor. This house is considered to be the first frame house in Madison County, VA. He also served as one of the first justices appointed by the governor for the county as well as serving on the commission that drew up the plans for the first courthouse. On Sept. 25, 1800 Ambrose was appointed Sheriff of Madison County.
Martha�s great-grandfather, William Albert Robins was a Sgt. in the Georgia Home guard during the Civil War and her grandfather, William Elias Robins and 2 of his brothers, fought for the Confederacy as members of The Phillips Legion Infantry Battalion Company B, known as the "Dalton Guards" out of Dalton, GA. History tells us that General Robert E. Lee surrendered on 4/9/1865 at Appomattox Court House. The paroles granted at Appomattox show barely more than ninety officers and enlisted men of Phillip's Legion remained with the unit when it surrendered. William Elias Robins was among these 90 men. His brothers were captured 4/6/1865, at Sailors Creek, near Appomattox and imprisoned at Newport News. Brother Samuel was released 06/14/1865, brother Henry died in prison of typhoid 7/15/1865. Samuel settled in Glenwood, AR.
Martha�s grandmother, �Elizabeth Jane Sloan was born in Tilton, Georgia, August 16, 1848. Her early education was by private tutors, and she later went to Bowden College in that State. She had lost her own mother at the tender age of four years, and during the Civil War she lost her devoted stepmother and loving father within a year�s time.
August 22, 1869, she was married to William Elias Robins, a Confederate soldier, who had stacked his arm with the remnant of General Lee�s army at Appomattox Court House, and walked with bleeding feet back to Georgia to help in the reconstruction of his native state.
Two years after their marriage they moved to Knoxville, Arkansas. This move to Arkansas was fraught with danger. Part of the trip was made on the train but the last hundred miles had to be made behind an ox-team over swollen streams and uncharted roads through the forests with a six months old baby to shield from the hardships of the journey.�*
There are enough notable Medleys, Sloans, and Robins to fill up this entire book, but I will return to the family at hand.
*from the obituary of Elizabeth Jane Sloan
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