John Weinel was born on November 26, 1813, in Merxheim, Meisenheim, Germany. At his birth, his father George Philip Weinel was 27 and his mother Katherina Margaretha Heck was 35. John was one of the first German converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was baptized by Murdock McKinze. After his baptism, he immigrated to Illinois where he joined the larger body of Saints. It was there in 1842 that he married Alice Daniels, and they were later sealed together in the Nauvoo Temple. John and Alice migrated to Utah and settled in Salt Lake City. He would eventually marry three more times after arriving in Utah.

John was a miller by trade and after arriving in Utah he was called by Brigham Young to establish a mill in Kaysville. A flour mill was needed as residents had to travel a distance as far as Willard, Utah, to have wheat ground into flour. John moved with his second wife to Kaysville on Spring Hollow Creek and began at once to erect a flour mill and a home. Grinding stones weighing 2200 pounds were brought by ox team from many miles away. Huge pulleys, shafts, and a giant water wheel had to be fashioned and shaped from native timber.

Besides a flour mill, Weinel operated a small farm, kept bees, and in general was a very industrious man. He employed a number of men in the mill and on the farm, and was known as a very generous employer. John Weinel was stockily built, had blue eyes and an abundance of brown wavy hair. Although he was married four times, he had no children, but often his home was a scene of early day festivities.

John died on February 2, 1889, and the mill operation ended in 1906 when a strong east wind blew the building down. Eventually the mill stones would be distributed throughout the community. Today one of those stones stands as a monument and flag pole located in front of the old library building on Main Street in Kaysville.