Joseph W. Wagner

Joseph William Wagner was born May 31, 1932 to Joseph and Mary (Kelch) Wagner in Cicero, Illinois. He was united in marriage to Jeanette (Munz) on July 31, 1957 in the parsonage of the Storm Lake Catholic Church. To this union five children were born. As a young boy, Joe worked as a hired hand in Kanawha. After marriage, he and Jeanette moved to Estherville where Joe worked at Fogery Construction. The family lived in Bancroft, Iowa from 1961 to 1965, where Joe worked for the city pouring and maintaining the city streets. They then moved to Alta, where he lived out his life. He worked at the Alta Lumber and U.B.C. until retirement. Joe was a gentle and quiet man and family was very important to him. He enjoyed people watching and seemed to know someone wherever he went. He was preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Todd; brother, Larry Wagner; mother and father-in-law, Grace and Russell Paulson; sister, and brother-in-law, Beverly and Harold Peterson; niece, Kathy Fahr. Joe is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jeanette Wagner of Alta; son, Jeff Wagner of Rathdrum, ID; daughters, Kimberly Halmose and husband Tom of Ansonia, CT, Kristy Wagner of Alta, Polly Sleezer and husband Patrick of San Antonio, TX, Peggy Witzke and husband James of Fonda; eleven grandchildren, Ely Wagner, Sarah Wilson, Jake Wagner, Corey Wagner, Joseph Halmose, Timothy Halmose, Zachary Sleezer, Kolby Sleezer, Jaden Sleezer, Caylee Witzke and Chandler Witzke; seven great-grandchildren, Orion, Torrin, Rory, Jillian, Charlie, Ellie and Evan; and many nieces and nephews. He will also be missed by his granddogs, Max, Tanner, Riley and Beau.