James Wenger Obituary

James William Wenger-known to many as Jim or Jimmy-was born on August 14, 1946, in New Brunswick City, New Jersey. He was the middle child of William and Katherine (Baumgartner) Wenger, and he went home to Jesus on July 5, 2025. Both his mother's and father's families immigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s. His mother's family were Volga Germans from Russia who fled early unrest in the region and eventually arrived through Ellis Island.

Jim spent his childhood adventurously roaming the neighborhoods and woods of Old Bridge and Jamesburg. A self-reliant person, Jim taught himself to read with a Hardy Boys novel in one hand and a dictionary in the other.

His rebellious teenage years took an unexpected and life-changing turn at age 19, when he encountered the transformative love of Jesus. Although he was studying electrical trades at Voorhees Technical School, NYC-where he demonstrated a natural aptitude for all things mechanical-Jim felt a divine calling to preach. He followed that call to Northeastern Bible College in Essex Fells, NJ, graduating four years later and receiving ordination from Pastor Albert Martin at Inwood Community Bible Church in Long Island, New York.

It was at Northeastern that he met Johanne Davis. They were married on August 22, 1970, and were just shy of celebrating 55 years together. Jim and Johanne raised two daughters, Katherine and Suzanne, and lived for four decades in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Alongside preaching, Jim's mechanical gift led him into appliance repair, servicing equipment for Denny's restaurants and Maytag. Whether it was a deep fryer, refrigerator, or dryer, Jim could dismantle and rebuild it with ease. He also kept a fleet of old cars running, tackled all the household plumbing and electrical work, and was-without question-a jack of all trades.

Later in life, Jim "retired" as a school bus driver, a role he reluctantly gave up just five years ago. Eleven years ago, he and Johanne moved to Hillsboro, OR to be near their daughter, Katherine (Brian Kinnear), and grandchildren, Evelyn and Russell. He is also survived by his daughter, Suzanne (Rafael Frutos Fernández) of Madrid, Spain; his brother, Joseph (Jean) of Jamestown, NY; and his sister, Elizabeth (Dave Costello) of Elizabethtown, PA.

God spoke to Jim in powerful and personal ways throughout his life, and his faith never wavered.