Henry...Henry Wagner Jr. and family
Henry Wagner Jr., son of Henry Wagner Sr. and Lucy Classen was born Aug. 24, 1902 on the family homestead about five miles north and west of Bristow, Nebraska. He had three brothers and a sister, Otto, Jacob, Henry Jr., William and Luella. He attended school in Bristow and business college in Grand Island, Nebraska. In 1923, his father bought some Indian land about 12 miles south of Mission, South Dakota. Here, son's Henry and Jacob went to live. In 1937 he married Margret Fisher, a school teacher. Shortly before his marriage, he had the misfortune of having his house get struck by lightning and burned up completely. He later bought a farm close to Valentine, Nebraska. While living there he farmed and worked at the sale barn in Valentine. He also did carpenter work in Valentine. They became the parents of three children, Elaine, Anita and Howard. Another tragedy struck the family when baby, Elaine Ann died shortly after birth in 1941. Anita was born in 1942. She attended school in Valentine and college in their New Ulm, Minnesota. She studied to be a teacher. She later taught school in Hutchison, Minnesota, Austin, Texas and Escondido, California. She married Arthur Wallace and they live in Escondido, California. They are the parents of two children, Teddy and Beth. Beth attended college in Minnesota. Arthur does sand blasting and Anita does some music teaching. Howard attended school in Valentine and college at Pipestone, Minnesota. He works with the soil conservation service and lives in Sioux City, Iowa. He married Edith Colshan. She had two children from a previous marriage. She works at a hospital. In the early '60s, the family moved to a farm near Pipestone, Minnesota. Margret passed away in Elk Point October 11, 1997 and is buried at Springfield, South Dakota. Henry spent the last two years with his son and wife at Elk Point, South Dakota and died April 18, 1999 and is buried in the Union Cemetery at Spencer, Nebraska. By Doris Fernau Wagner