Johannes Wenger was born on December 20, 1780 in Switzerland. On June 11, 1805 he was married to Elizabeth Gerber in Thierachern, Bern, Switzerland. They had seven children: Elizabeth (b. November 27, 1807), Johannes (b. March 9, 1810), Christian (b. December 5, 1815), Maria (b. August 5, 1818), Gottleib (b. December 25, 1819), and Friedrich Wenger (b. October 23, 1824). Johannes died on October 7, 1840 at the age of 59.