James Wego

James K.Wego, a retired Civil Rights Specialist with the Department of Education, died on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at his home. He was born on February 8, 1933 in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of the late Kermit Wego and Janette Wego-Baldwin. He was in residence at the Village at Luther Ridge, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to that, he resided in Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania for eighteen years.

He was a member of the St. Paul United Methodist Church in Chambersburg. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during the Korean War; a former history teacher of high school American History in Minnesota; and enjoyed a career with the U.S. Departments of Health, Education, and Welfare and Education. His work was enforcing Federal nondiscrimination laws and regulations governing the treatment of citizens based on race, national origin, sex, handicap, and age as they applied to public and private school systems and institutions of higher education.

He attended Harding High School in St. Paul, Minnesota and the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded both the B.S. and M.A. Degrees. He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara, whom he married in 1956: two children, Stephen of Germantown, Maryland, and Jennifer of Lawrence, Kansas; three grandchildren – Cheyenne, Christina, and Ashley; and eight great grandchildren.

His activities included Chairman of the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association in Gettysburg that restored a long neglected African-American cemetery; Chairman of the borough of Carroll Valley Sewer and Water Authority; first President of the Adams County Human Relations Council; Co-chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee; President of the Luther Ridge Retirement Community Residents’ Association; and a volunteer at the Gettysburg National Military Park for over 14 years.

There will be a private graveside service at the convenience of the family. Interment will be in the Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Should anyone wish to make a memorial contribution, it may be directed to the Wildlife Land Trust, an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, at 2100 L Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037. Its purpose is to protect wildlife by preserving their natural habitat and/or sanctuaries.