Katherine Wegner

Posted

(April 28, 2003)

Katherine (Katharina) Fink Wegner, 88, of Powell, and formerly of Belfry, Mont., died Monday, April 28 at the Powell Valley Care Center, only five days after the death of her husband, Solomon.

For the last days of her life, she was surrounded by her family, friends, Pastor Larry Veland and the Powell Valley Care Center staff.

She was born east of Powell on March 19, 1915, to her Volga German immigrant parents, Carl and Amelia Fink. She was baptized into the Christian faith in 1915 and was confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church at Lovell in 1931.

After living on various farms in the Powell/Lovell areas, her parents settled on their own farm east of Lovell. She began school at Sunlight School and later attended parochial school until the eighth grade. She began high school at Kane and graduated from Lovell High School in 1935. Following graduation, she worked as a sales clerk, nanny and on area dude ranches.

On July 2, 1943, she married Solomon Wegner while he was on furlough from the U.S. Marine Corps. They were married in Billings, and following the wedding, she went back to Lovell, and Solomon went off to war. Always the frugal one, she took their savings and purchased their first home in Lovell. When her husband returned after his discharge, they began their 60-year journey together.

In 1948, the couple moved to their farm north of Belfry with their two young sons. They sold their farm in 1970 and moved into Belfry. She continued to cook for the Belfry schools until her retirement.

She loved her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and family. She loved to cook and sew and took great pride in her yard and flower gardens.

Survivors include two sons, Dennis (Barbara) Wegner of Powell and Stanley (Regina) Wegner of Park City, Mont.; grandsons Lee Wegner and family of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Peter Wegner and family of Tigeras, N.M.; granddaughters Bety Wegner of San Francisco, Calif., Adrienne Wegner of Billings, and Allison Wegner and family of Park City; two brothers, Fred Fink of Chicago and Albert Fink of Lovell; five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Solomon; her parents; a sister, Amelia Clem; and brothers Alex, William, Carl and infant Alfred Fink.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Belfry, her church home for over 50 years. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 2 at the church. Burial will be in the Belfry Cemetery.

Memorial may be given to Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center, St. Louis, MO 63141 or to a charity of choice.

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