June 29, 1858 – December 15, 1927
John Wesley Wegley was born on June 29, 1858, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and passed away on December 15, 1927, in Shade, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at the age of 69.
His death certificate confirms that he succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by high blood pressure—a stroke. The document also identifies his parents as Joseph Wegley and Eva Berkible, offering vital details for genealogical distinction, as another man named John W. Wegley lived during the same period but was married to a Sarah Wegley.
John married Helen Elizabeth “Bessie” Swanson, originally from Sweden, and together they had six children:
- Minerva Pearl (1887)
- Frederick (1890)
- Ruth Leona Victoria (1893)
- Clarence John Leroy
- Raymond Walter (1900)
- Howard
By 1910, the family lived at 507 Biddle Street in Kane, Pennsylvania, a residence that would remain their home through the 1920 census. In 1910, John was listed as a pumper for oil wells, while in 1920, he was recorded as a grocer. Despite inconsistencies in his reported age—50 in the 1910 census and 62 in 1920—his wife Bessie aged more consistently, from 44 in 1910 to 54 in 1920. Their children also appeared in the records, although there are occasional transcription errors, such as their daughter Ruth being listed as “Rush” in the 1920 census.
The home at 507 Biddle Street, built in 1890, remains standing today. It is a two-story, 2,258-square-foot single-family home, notable for its six bedrooms and history as a converted two-apartment property. In recent history, it was sold at a public auction in 2013 for $19,000, despite an average home value in the area of approximately $150,000. The house retains its historic charm but reflects the challenges of maintaining older properties.
John Wesley’s life and work reflected the industrious spirit of his time. He was literate, owned his home, and worked various roles to support his family. After his death in 1927, he was laid to rest in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Kane, Pennsylvania, where his legacy endures through the descendants and stories of his family.