Jack was the youngest child of Joseph Wegley and Tena (Olson) Wegley. His father, Joseph, served as the mayor of Williston, cementing the family’s prominent role in the community.

Military Service

Jack’s life was shaped by his service to his country. He enlisted in the United States Army on June 2, 1939, and served until April 10, 1944, during the turbulent years of World War II. His military records show an additional enlistment on February 10, 1941, in the National Guard’s infantry branch. While the overlap between his Army and National Guard service is unclear, it reflects his dedication to serving in multiple capacities during this critical period in history. Jack’s time in the military positioned him as part of the generation that contributed to the Allied victory in World War II.

Marriage and Family

Shortly after his military discharge, Jack married Nadine Melland on May 29, 1944. Their marriage marked the beginning of a new chapter as Jack transitioned from his wartime role to building a life with his wife in their hometown. Together, they carried forward the values of family, hard work, and community involvement that were hallmarks of the Wegley name.

Legacy

Jack’s life was a testament to his loyalty—to his family, his hometown of Williston, and his country. As the youngest of his family and the child of a community leader, he upheld the traditions of service and commitment. His contributions, both in uniform and as a civilian, remain a proud part of the Wegley family history and the story of Williston, North Dakota.

His father was Fredrick Wegley, and his mother was Tillie Blanch Edwards.

Although John Wesley was born in West Virginia, he wasn’t there long. By 1930, he and his family were already living in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, thanks to the 1930 United States Federal Census.

He was 7 years old and, as you might expect, attending school. He, however, wouldn’t graduate from high school. Times were hard in this period in history, and he had to quit high school after his 2nd year.

At 17 years old, he worked in a glass factory, just like his father did.  This was a new job for him because, as we can see, in 1939, he had listed 0 hours of work, and his usual occupation was “new worker.”

On February 12, 1943, John Wesley Wegley enlisted in the US Army. His enlistment term was for the duration of the War or another emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law.

On his draft registration card, we learn he was 5 foot 5 inches tall with a light complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes.

He obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, his official enlistment date was February 20, 1943, and his release date was December 6, 1945.

At the age of 23, John Wesley Wegley married Norman Jean Pocky. She was 21 years of age at the time. Their marriage took place on April 1, 1946, in Virginia.

It is in this document we get further proof that his parents were Fred and Tillie Wegley.

Together, John Wesley and his beloved wife Norma Jean had four children: Lynn (born in 1947) and Wesley (born in 1952), Janine (1955) and then Donald (1959).

 He died on November 1, 1982, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. He was buried at the West Lawn Cemetery in Henryetta, Oklahoma. 

He was born on July 27, 1927, in Waurika, Oklahoma.

His father was Benjamin Franklin Price and his mother was Ethel Ann Hopson.

His wife was Dorothy J Richardson. Apparently, she was no relation to us, it was just a crazy coincidence that she had the Richardson name. 🙂

They had a total of 4 children, Glen Jr, Gloria Jean, Freddy Dan and Joey.

Freddy Dan died on January 18, 2018. He had a stroke about 3 years prior and a friend of his had been taking care of him. Glen Jr. passed away about two years prior to that so about 2016 and that meant as of January of 2018 only Gloria Jean who they called sissy was still alive. Her family thought that she was still living somewhere in Mexico but know little else about her whereabouts.

He died of a cardiac arrest, due in part to his morbid obesity on August 3, 1982. His death certificate also tells us that he was a wrecker driver in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 55 years old. (Find a grave link)

At one time he lived at 2411 Warwick Ave, Fort Worth, TX, 76106-7557 and at another time his recorded address was 2226 Robinwood Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76111-5117.

His photos are obvious shots of him in the Navy. His death certificate also states that at some time he was in the US Armed Forces. My grandmother (his younger sister), Alice Joann Price thought he went into the US Navy in 1941, but I knew that couldn’t have been right since then he was only 14. I found it though on his US Department of Veteran Affairs Death File.

He was in the Navy. He enlisted on November 29, 1944. He was released on May 11, 1946.

His father was Frederick Wegley (1890-1950), and his mother was Tillie Blanch Edwards (1899-1984).

My grandfather was born during the height of the Roaring Twenties, a decade marked by economic prosperity, cultural change, and modernization in the U.S. Society was rapidly transforming due to advancements in technology, new entertainment trends, and shifts in social norms.

• The 1920s were defined by a booming economy, often called the “Roaring Twenties.” This era was characterized by the growth of consumer goods industries, mass production (such as Ford’s assembly line), and increasing urbanization.
• Fort Smith, Arkansas, as a regional hub, likely felt some of this economic prosperity but was still largely rural and agricultural compared to urban centers.
• Prohibition was in full swing in 1925 (1920-1933), making the production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages illegal under the 18th Amendment. Speakeasies, bootlegging, and organized crime marked this era.
• In rural areas like Arkansas, temperance movements were often more strictly adhered to, though illicit moonshining was widespread.
• The South, including Arkansas, was deeply segregated due to Jim Crow laws. These laws enforced racial discrimination and limited opportunities for African Americans. At the same time, Black communities were creating vibrant cultural and social institutions despite systemic oppression.
• Radio technology was transforming communication and entertainment. By 1925, radios were becoming more common in homes, bringing music, news, and sports broadcasts to people nationwide.
• Automobiles were also becoming more accessible, reshaping rural and urban life.
• The world was still recovering from the devastation of World War I (1914-1918). The League of Nations, though not joined by the U.S., was attempting to mediate international conflicts and promote peace.
• In Europe, Benito Mussolini had consolidated power in Italy by 1925, signaling the rise of fascism as a political force. This would later have profound implications for the world.
• Jazz music and the Harlem Renaissance were influencing culture worldwide, spreading from the U.S. to Europe.
• In December 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was still fresh in people’s minds, encapsulating the glitz and disillusionment of the era.

My grandfather’s birth places him in the midst of a transformative decade. The culture, politics, and economics of the 1920s would shape his childhood and early life.

This backdrop can provide a rich narrative foundation for discussing your grandfather’s early years, as he grew up in an America balancing progress and tension. You might also explore how the culture and history of Fort Smith specifically influenced his life.

Raymond Edward Wegley fought in World War II in the US Navy. He served on the USS Earl K. Olsen.

The USS Earl K. Olsen (DE-765) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Earl Kenneth Olsen, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism during the Battle of Tassafaronga in World War II.

After commissioning, the USS Earl K. Olsen served as a training ship for the Fleet Sound School in Key West, Florida. Between August 28, 1944, and May 24, 1945, she completed six convoy escort voyages between the United States and United Kingdom ports. Notably, on March 13, 1945, during a voyage to Southampton, she rescued two men after a collision between USAT J.W. McAndrew and the French aircraft carrier Béarn in a violent storm, escorting the damaged ships to the Azores for emergency repairs.

The USS Earl K. Olsen played a vital role in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II, ensuring the safe passage of convoys across the Atlantic and supporting post-war operations in the Pacific. Her service exemplified the versatility and endurance of Cannon-class destroyer escorts in the U.S. Navy.

He joined the war on November 29, 1943, at the age of 17, and was officially discharged on April 28, 1946.

His brother John W. Wegley entered service the month before on February 19, 1943. But he went into the army. I don’t know why my grandfather chose the Navy instead of the army like his brother.

He was a Sergeant First Class and was awarded several medals for his service to his country.

Two years after he got out of the military, he married my grandmother, Elsie Jane Hoag, on June 5, 1948, in Pennsylvania. Together, they would have 4 children, three boys and only one girl (my mother).

• Thomas Eugene (June 13, 1949)
• Karen Marie (January 26, 1951)
• Raymond Edward (December 11, 1952)
• Robert Thomas (September 27, 1954)

My grandfather, Raymond, retired from the Bartlett Collins glass factory in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and this photo was taken on his last day of work in April of 1989.

Just 3 years later, he would die in his sleep of a heart attack on December 4, 1992.

He was buried in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, at the Green Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Frederick Wegley married Tillie Blanch Edwards on February 4, 1920, when he was 32 years old. They married in Huntington, West Virginia.

Together, they had at least six children, including my grandfather,  Raymond Wegley.

• John Wesley (1923-1982)
• Betty Ann (1924-2010)
• Raymond Edward (1925-1992)
• Ruth Minerva (1928-?)
• Dora Mae (1930-1970)
• Gretta Laura (1935-?)

Frederick Wegley, along with his sons John Wesley and Raymond Edward, served in World War I and World War II.

Here is a blurry copy of his WW1 draft registration card, which tells us that he is of medium height, slender build, with light brown hair and light grey eyes.

It also says he was employed as a laborer doing woodworking for a manufacturing company. It also reveals he was in the national guard in the infantry division for 1 year prior to this form being filled out (June 5, 1917), at which time he was 29 years old.

At 54 years old, he filled out another draft card to join the fight during WWII. Notice on the document, he lied and said he was 52, born in 1889, not his actual year of birth of 1887.

These two documents tell us a little more about the man. He was 5 feet 7 1/2. Again, we learn that he has brown hair and grey eyes, and his complexion is described as “ruddy,” as opposed to “shallow,” “light,” “dark,” “light brown,” etc.

This was signed on April 27, 1942. Fred’s eldest son, John Wesley, would join the war on February 19, 1943, almost a year later.  Then his youngest son, Raymond, would join on November 29, 1943, at 17.

So the father lied and said he was younger so he could join the war and fight for his country, and his son lied and said he was older to do the same.

Fred died in 1950 and was buried in a grave in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where his youngest son was living at the time.

His wife, Tillie, would die in 1984 and would be buried nearby.

Now here is something interesting … notice his gravestone said his year of birth was 1889. But we know from countless census records that he was actually born two years earlier. Well, actually, now that I examine the records more closely, I don’t know for sure.

• The 1900 census shows he was 12 years old at the time, born in August of 1887. 1900-12 actually puts him born in about 1888
• In the 1910 census, he was 21 and listed as born “about 1889”.
• The 1920 census shows he was 30 at the time, which means he was born about 1890. During this census he was still living with his parents and was a box maker and a window and glass factory.
• In the 1930 census, it tells us he was 39 years old and that he was born in about 1881.
• The 1940 census shows he was 50 years old and born in 1890.

I am told that it wasn’t uncommon to estimate things back then when you knew for sure. But every time, it is different, so I’m not sure what to say about it.

The 1900 census and the WW1 draft registration card says August 1887. So for now we’ll keep it at that.

He was known to most of his friends as RN but was also known as Reuben Namon Richardson Jr, RN Richardson, R.N. Richardson, Reuben Neiman, or Rubin. Like his father before him, there are so many variations of his name, it really does make it hard to find documents regarding his life.

• Born on 23 Mar 1929 in Waurika, Oklahoma
• Died on 28 Sep 2002 in Bowie, Texas

* Please note that some sources say RN’s birthday is March 23, 1929 but as you can see by his gravestone, it clearly says March 21, 1929.  However later evidence has come up to show his actual birthday was March 23, despite what the Navy may say.

His father is Rubin Nemon Richardson and and his mother is Mary Vivian Phillips.

On March 12, 1946 he enlisted in the United States Navy. This was just after the end of World War II – well sort of. The actual peace treaty between Japan and most of the Allies (the Treaty of San Francisco) was not signed until 1951 and did not take effect until 1952. However if you want to get technical, for the purposes of computing veterans’ benefits, the US Government views World War II as having ended on December 31, 1946.

In 1947 he served on the USS Southerland. The ship number or designation was DD-743 or 0441-0743. His last listing on a WW II Navy Muster Roll for the USS Southerland was on Feb 17, 1947.

By April 25, 1948 he was serving on the USS Piedmont. The ship number or designation was AD-17.

Recently I happened upon his record of Naval Discharge. It shows he was a World War II Victory Medal and a China Service Medal. It was filed on March 29, 1950.

This document shows us again that his birthday is March 23, 1929 in Waurika, OK and he entered the service on March 12, 1946. His service # which is 986 8226.

While in the Navy he served on the …

• USS Penner
• USS Southerland
• USS Piedmont
• USS Rupertus

After faithfully serving our country and fighting for our freedom he was honorably discharged in San Deigo, California on December 27, 1949.  His service number was 986 82 26.

Some other sources list his release date as December 27, 1953 however as you can see by the official document below the real date is December 27, 1949 and not December 27, 1953.

You will notice on the certificate below he was a Fireman, which according to the Navy’s official website is a part of the Engineering and Hull specialties.

Married: Alice Joann Price

• Date of Marriage: August 26, 1950 in Henrietta, Texas
• Date of Divorce:  December, 1957 in Oklahoma City, OK

This marriage produced 3 children.

• Benjamin Wayne Richardson (July 19, 1951)
• Joanna Richardson (February 19, 1954)
• Frankie Richardson (November 22, 1955)

After leaving my grandmother he married a lady named Nancy Lee Stewart and together they had three children. They later divorced but I’m not sure when that was.

• Reuben N Richardson III (August 11, 1960-2005)
• Alex Stuart Richardson (June 26, 1961 -)
• Vivian Gail Richardson (June 26, 1961 -)

Despite what his gravestone may say, RN was born on March 23, 1929.

RN was buried at the Granbury Cemetery in Hood County, Texas which is about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Forth Worth, Texas. Turns out he lived his final years only a few hours away from the grandchildren that wanted to find him for most all of their lives.

Reuben Namon Richardson is my paternal grandfather