In Loving Memory of

David Mathias Wagner

David Wagner was born on May 24, 1939 in Slayton, Minnesota to Mildred Johansen and Mathias (Mutts) Wagner. David was the oldest of 5 children, and was known to all as Dave.  His fondest memories of childhood were growing up on a farm near Wilmont, MN, where he loved to hunt, fish and work with his father on the family farm.  He attended school in Fulda and Wilmont and graduated from Slayton High School in the class of 1957.   Dave married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Jane Metz, at St Ann’s Catholic Church in Slayton on June 9, 1959.  Dave and Jane lived for a short period of time on his parent’s farm located just east of Slayton, but soon moved to Slayton where he worked as a plumber for the first year after marriage. The couple’s four children were born during their Slayton years.  Dave enjoyed a long and successful career of 31 years with United Parcel Service, where he was the recipient of many Safe Driving Awards.  He was well known to thousands of people and businesses in the far southwestern MN area.  Dave retired from UPS in 1995.  Dave’s first love was always agriculture.  Even while working for UPS he dreamed of having his own farm.  In 1970, he realized this dream and moved his young family to their current farm home north of Slayton.  This was the beginning of what would become a successful and rewarding family farm for the next 46 years.  The family raised a wide variety of critters, starting with chinchillas, a few ducks and sheep, and ultimately many years of hog and crop farming.  His children learned many lessons on the farm that would shape them throughout their lives.  Dave worked closely with other farmers in the area, particularly his brother in-law, the late Frank Vos, and eventually his nephew, Dale Vos, who were instrumental in helping him start and grow the farm.  He loved spending time on the family farm more than anything and especially looked forward to fieldwork every year. Dave was also an avid baseball fan and he and Jane took summer bus tours to several baseball parks.  His four children were his pride and joy, and he was so proud of their many accomplishments.  Dave passed away on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD from complications after a farm accident.  His entire immediate family was present.  Dave was a very active parishioner of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Slayton.  His faith was rich and he served in the Knights of Columbus and the parish as a lector and communion minister for many years.

He is survived by his wife of over 58 years, Jane Wagner of Slayton, his four children, Jeffrey (June) Wagner of Indianapolis, IN, Michael (Susanne) Wagner of Pleasanton, CA, Cynthia (Patrick) O’Connell of Lakeville MN, and Sharon Wagner of Urbana, IL.  He was blessed with ten grandchildren: Taryn Wagner, Alyssa Wagner, and Matthew Wagner (Jeffrey), Nicole Volhontseff, Natalie Killeen, Audrey Lanning and Sam Wagner (Michael); Megan O’Connell, Jeremy O’Connell, and Sarah O’Connell (Cynthia); one brother, Robert (Paulette) Wagner of Mansfield, SD, one sister, Patricia Wagner of Orange, TX, and two brothers-in-law, Delbert Urke of Elk River, MN and Les Ruiter of Lake Wilson, MN.  He is preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Sharon Urke and Mary Ruiter.

Funeral Services

St. Ann’s Church in Slayton, MN on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. with Fr. Thien Nguyen and Fr. James Seitz con-celebrating.  The organist is Judy Andrews.  The song leader is Sheila Crowley.  The pallbearers are his grandchildren.  Interment is at St. Ann’s Cemetery in Slayton, MN.