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The Founder |
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Christian Testimony
From Germany to Goshen, IN My first three school years in Indiana were difficult as my classmates would pick on me knowing I had recently moved from Germany. This experience of feeling rejected made me determined to fit in at all costs if I ever had a chance to start all over, which I did when my parents moved to a house in the Goshen city school district in 1957. Success at Every Turn
I had less and less time for my family but rationalized this as a once in a lifetime opportunity that would benefit my family in the long run. Church was also secondary, and I went to Nan's church with our two children, Heinz born in 1972, and Jessica born in 1976. Then a management change resulted in a dramatic shift in my career. However, even this unexpected turn of events led to what seemed like an unreachable dream-- starting an electronics company, Wegener Communications, in 1978. This company, started in my laundry room, also required long hours of work but soon became very successful. Real Happiness That year I met Clarence Burkholder who invited me to a Bible study at Nan's church. Even though I had lots of reasons why I didn't want to go, I went with him and through that Bible study, Jesus became real to me and I committed my life to Him as Lord and Savior. Nan and I grew in our relationship with Jesus and each other by attending retreats and Bible studies. Miracle of Deliverance Meaning in Life Even work is a blessing with Jesus. In 1986, Wegener Communications was 177th on the INC. 500 list of fastest growing privately held companies and became a publicly traded company (WGNR on NASDAQ) in 1987. In 1994, I took a small division of Wegener private which is now Cross Technologies. More importantly, however, because of Jesus, my life now has the meaning, purpose, joy and peace that nothing the world had to offer could give! Eternal Life Why not make your eternal decision now by inviting Jesus into your life by saying the following with all your heart:
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Germany, after World War II, was a difficult place to raise a young family as jobs were scarce, and so my parents, my brother, Dieter, and I immigrated to the United States in 1951 under the sponsorship of a Mennonite church. This was made possible because my mother was a refugee from East Germany. We arrived in Goshen, Indiana, on November 7, 1951, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a converted troop carrier ship which was filled to capacity with other refugee families like us. In Indiana, my parents were made to feel at home by German-speaking Amish neighbors, and my parents quickly began a routine of hard work and regular church attendance. Soon, they were able to purchase a house and a car, nearly impossible in Germany at that time.
Getting good grades and doing well in sports made me popular at school, and I learned that hard work and perseverance were formulas for success. This drive to excel continued through high school, college, and in my career as an electrical engineer. I even married the girl of my dreams, Nan, in 1967 after my freshman year in college.
My career was very challenging, and my hard work was rewarded with promotions and salary increases. After gaining experience in designing military radar and communications receivers, I moved to Atlanta in 1972, where I was a design engineer in the division that launched Scientific-Atlanta into the satellite communications field. This job was really exciting, and I would often work 70 to 80 hours a week designing new equipment.
Also, I was relying more and more on alcohol for my peace and relaxation and could not imagine having fun without having a drink.
Today, Nan and I are incredibly blessed with Jesus at the center of our wonderful marriage, five beautiful grandchildren (three from Heinz and his wife, Mariana, and two from Jessica and her husband, Kenny), our children close by and living for Jesus, and Nan and I working together in our own company since 1978. My brother Dieter died in June, 2005, at the age of 56 and had accepted Jesus a couple of years before that.