James W Wagner *
Funeral services for Bill Wagner will be 10 AM Friday, July 8, 2022 at the Sheridan County Civic Center. Interment will follow at the Plentywood Memorial Cemetery.
James William (Bill) Wagner, 97, was born at Plentywood, Montana on October 14, 1924 to James Garfield and Johannah (Meng) Wagner. He died June 30,2022 at home on the farm. He grew up in the Plentywood community, graduating from high school in 1941. He married his beloved Margaret Holmquist on November 1, 1951. They had 70 wonderful years together. To this union were born four children: Linda, Karie, Terry, and Mike.
Bill’s deep faith and love for God was the most important thing in his life. He loved his family and friends, and enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, picking juneberries, chokecherries and wildflowers, and family camping trips. He got his last deer when he was 94. He was a craftsman in leather and woodworking, building furniture, and creating turned, segmented vases and bowls, as well as silhouettes in wood. Bill and Margaret loved their many trips with her sister and husband, Jean and Connie Dawson.
Bill loved farming and farmed his entire adult life. He continued to help with the farming when needed after retiring. He also did carpentry work, building houses in the winters.
Bill is survived by his wife of 70 years, Margaret; his sister Cherryl Wagner; his children Linda (Richard) Shockey, Terry Wagner, Mike (Marni) Wagner; son-in-law Rich Baumann; 8 grandchildren—Nathan (Jaena) Shockey, Josh (Andrea) Shockey, Eric (Melanie) Shockey, Brianna Downer, Evan (Carol) Wagner, Tessa (Matt) Vannest, Cheyenne (Dakota) Hennigh, and Marissa (Malcolm) Kintzing; 12 great grandchildren—Jordan, Zane, Kylee, Cole, Zach, Eli, Greta,and Porter Shockey, Ava and Ahna Downer, Fischer and Hunter Kintzing; nephews, nieces; and many friends.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his infant brother, his sister Lorraine Koterba, and his daughter Karie Baumann.