Martha Ellen "Nellie" (Downing) Wegner was born on August 23, 1893 in Britton, Lenawee County, Michigan. She was the daughter of Charles James and Martha (Carmen) Downing.

On September 21, 1910, she married Emiel F. Wegner in Ontario, Canada. They had eleven children including:

  1. Alberta Louella (Wegner) Hendrickson

  2. Lillian Opa (Wegner) Crandall

  3. Frederick Charles Wegner

  4. Matilda E. "Dolly" (Wegner) Young

  5. Marvin Emiel Wegner

  6. Melvin Louis Wegner

  7. Anona Rachel (Wegner) Melton

  8. Georgiana Marie (Wegner) Jerew

  9. Josephine Marion (Wegner) Brothers

  10. Monita Madeline (Wegner) Fergus

  11. Baby Son

Martha died while giving birth to her eleventh baby on August 28, 1929. She was at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan and was 36 years old at the time of her death. She is buried at Ridgeway Cemetery in Ridgeway Township, Lenawee County, Michigan.

After Martha's death, Emiel married Aurila Shipley in 1931 and they were divorced in 1959. He then married Irene Bachtal and they had two children, Susan and Debra. Emiel, who was born on December 13, 1888, died on October 27, 1966 at the age of 77.

"On August 28, 1929, when Nellie was 36 years old, she died in the University Hospital, Ann Arbor, in childbirth (with the eleventh child a son). A few lines from her obituary follow: "Together with her husband she made her home in Palmyra Twp. at the home where the fatal illness overtook her and here their hopes and joys centered on their farm home and the family God gave to them. In later years she also embraced the faith of her husband and was baptized into the Christian faith after she had familiarized herself with its doctrines. So she and her husband lived happily together, she rendering him a loving helpfulness of a faithful wife, caring for her children and her home.

In an entirely unforeseen manner this home life was interrupted by the grim figure of death when she was suddenly taken ill one week ago last Monday. Medical aid was summoned and she was taken to the University Hospital at Ann Arbor. She had almost won the battle for life when she grew worse and was taken to her eternal reward."

Also..."Emiel went through the third grade at English school where he lived in Canada. He was then taken out of school and was sent to German school at the church, taught by the minister in German. This was the case with all the children of the neighborhood which was primarily a German settlement. The duration of German school was usually four years, with the preachers being strict disciplinarians. The taskmasters were so strict that sometimes they would whip the children unmercifully. However, as the years went by, each succeeding minister proved to be a little more lenient."

Following is an excerpt from a letter written by Emiel to his oldest daughter, Alberta, in 1963.

"…but think 80 years ago when ma an pa come to this country no money no place to live no job, but a big family and kept on getting bigger all the time. Just look at the difference in the last 50 years, when your Ma and I were married. I had $150 to run us till the next spring, the winter after we were married chuck (Chuck Downing) & I cut wood all winter for 6o¢ to 65¢ a cord the most we could cut in one day was 3 to 5 cord a day.

The next spring we moved in that old house, then I had to buy one horse and plow, but then we were still happy. Then I don carpenter work with your uncle Bill Prilipp building barns turn that boring machine 10 hours day four $2 but they were still happy. I think it was in 1913 we build the barn. Then in 1917 we built the house. Them were still happy days but we were still poor. "