The Schlepers and Weidners of Minnesota:Information about Robert Andrew Weidner

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Robert Andrew Weidner (b. June 09, 1894, d. September 09, 1967)

Robert Weidner

Robert Andrew Weidner (son of George A. Weidner and Eva Nickol)^{111, 111} was born June 09, 1894 in Lake Henry, MN^{111, 111}, and died September 09, 1967 in St. Cloud, Stearns, MN, USA^{111, 111}. He married Margaret Peters on August 28, 1923, daughter of Peter Peters and Barbara Biersdorf.

Notes for Robert Andrew Weidner:
Robert Weidner and Margaret Peters had a Fairway Store in Regal, Minnesota.

Robert Weidner, along with Harry Weider, were in World War I. According to Walter Weidner, Robert Weidner's brother, "My brothers, Harry and Robert were in the 1st draft for World War I. They left one day in September, 1917, from Willmar. My father and mother took them to Willmar by car, and the boys did not return for 23 months. Before they left the U.S., they were asked what department they would like to get into. Rob replied, “Anything but the infantry.” So, they put Rob and Harry on the ammunition train.

"They were in the ammunition train where they hauled the ammunition and horses to the front. They often talked about General Pershing who was a very brave man, and is probably the reason he was appointed the Commanding General of all forces. He was not afraid to go to the front with his boys. Robert and Harry hauled ammunition to four different fronts and they said sometimes there was so much firing for hours and hours they did not expect anyone to get out alive. One time the lieutenant ordered the men in the ammunition train to take ammunition to a certain front and they knew that that day a German sniper had killed quite a few men plus some horses and they told the lieutenant that it was suicide to go up there as long as the sniper was in the area. They were told to follow the orders, so they told the lieutenant it was required that he would take the lead and if he did they would follow. The lieutenant then decided that they would not go on until they did get the sniper. Then he asked for two volunteers in the bunch to find the sniper and they went that night and found the sniper in his concrete den or hideout. He was sleeping and when they threw a hand grenade in his den, he awoke and came out with his hands up and they shot him as he had killed so many of our men during the day.

"When the war ended on November 11, Rob and Harry got orders to go to Germany in the army of occupation as they both could speak German. They were stationed there for 7 to 9 months. They found the German people treated them very nicely. Every Sunday they were invited to some home to have dinner with a German family. When they returned to the U.S. they stopped in Chicago to visit relatives and also in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. After two days, they returned home. They arrived home one noon on the Soo Line train and there was a very crowed there to great them. My folks were very happy to see them again. That day all the food and drinks were free to all the visitors. Laura Nickol, a cousin, also came with them from Buffalo Grove to visit.

"The boys told us that one night while on the ammunition train, they found a hospital near by. They went over there and found that Dr. Pilon was stationed at that hospital. Dr. Pilon was from Paynesville. He was very happy to see someone from his home town. He gave both Rob and Harry a postcard with his picture and autographed it and wished them well.

"Another young man from Regal who was drafted about the same time was Frank Nelson. He left from North Dakota as he was a depot agent on the Soo Line in a small town in North Dakota. He was at the front only about a week or less in the infantry and was killed. He left a wife, his parents, and brothers and sisters. His father was the rural mail carrier out of Regal for many years. In these days, there were no cars, so they always delivered mail by horse driven buggy or sled. This route was about 32 miles long. Frank had 3 brothers and 1 sister. They all went to school with us in Regal.

"After Frank (Nelson) graduated from 8th grade, he went to high school in Paynesville and traveled by bicycle every day—this was about 10 miles form his home. We had no tarred roads, just gravel roads and they were not very good. In the wintertime, he would stay at someone’s home in Paynesville, as he couldn’t travel by bike in the snow. By road it was 8 or 9 miles and would come back at night. They were rather poor and did not have much money to spend and I remember him telling me that one of the months he only spent two cents and that was for a pen point. In those days we did not have ballpoint or fountain pens. You would write with a pen that you would have to dip into the ink bottle every few words that you wrote."

According to Sr. Beverly Weidner, Robert Weidner's daughter, in 2005, Rob did not want to shoot a gun. So, he drove a horse to drove the ammunition trailer to the front lines. This is very dangerous, and even worse because he had no gun. He remembers being in France, and feeling very hungry during the war.

According to Elmer Schleper (December 2002), "Rob Weidner smoke “like a chimney.” He and Charlie, Tom, and Lee (Braun) would light up together, and they didn’t go outdoors when doing so."

More About Robert Andrew Weidner:
Date born 2: June 09, 1894
Burial: Unknown, Regal, MN.
Died 2: STEARNS.¹¹²
Died 3: STEARNS.¹¹²
Died 4: STEARNS.¹¹²

More About Robert Andrew Weidner and Margaret Peters:
Marriage: August 28, 1923

Children of Robert Andrew Weidner and Margaret Peters are:

+Charles Robert Weidner.
+Marcelline Barbara Weidner, b. April 12, 1928, Regal, Kandiyohi, MN, USA, d. February 13, 1997, Farming, Stearns, MN, USA.
+Rose Marie Weidner.
+Dolores Luella Weidner.
Thomas Anthony Weidner.
+Beverly Elizabeth Weidner.
Margaret Mary Weidner.