John Wagner

John Wagner was born at Meckelberg, Germany, January 13, 1860, where he lived until his 14th year of age. He died at his home near Roberts, Illinois, Thursday, April 17th,  1924, aged 64 years, 3 months and 4 days.
Mr. Wagner had not been ill and only recently he made the statement that he had not felt better for years. Thursday evening his body was found in the barn against the manger. There was no evidence of a struggle and apparently he died peacefully from a failure of heart action. The coroner was called and jury empaneled which returned the following verdict:
"We the undersigned jurors sworn to inquire into the death of John Wagner on oath do find that he came to his death by natural causes and that the time was between seven and eight o'clock on the evening of April17th, 1924, at his farm home five miles south east of Roberts, Illinois.
J. P. Russell, foreman
C. W. Mott
Emil O. Rueck
William Berlett
Robert Pate
Fred C. Keitzman
When he as an infant his father was killed by accident leaving his mother with two small sons, himself and a bother five years older. Afterwards his mother was married again and when John was fourteen years of age he came to America and settled near Gilman, Illinois. He remained at Gilman until about 1884 when he came to Roberts which has been his home since except for six years during which time he lived in Oklahoma.
His mother and her family also came to America and lived in this vicinity for many years. She and her second husband, John Schmidt, lived just east of Buckley where he died about twenty years ago and she a few years later.
At the time Mr. Wagner came to Roberts he married Miss Elizabeth Beehler, now his sorrowing widow, and for forty years they have traveled life's highway together. To them were born nine children, two of whom preceded their father in death. Those surviving are five sons, William Albert, John and Edward of Roberts and Louis of Cullom, and two daughters Mrs. William Berlet of Loda and Mrs. Emil Rueck of Buckley. He also leaves nine grand-children, and one brother Henry Wagner of Gilman, and one half-brother Fred Schmidt of Texas.
Mr. Wagner was a member of the Evangelical Church here for many years before his moving to Oklahoma and on his return reunited with the church and was a faithful member until his death. He was a frugal, industrious, honest, conscientious man. A man whose word was always relied upon. By hard work and careful management he accumulated sufficient to leave a good home for his family. He was a kind husband and father, an accommodating neighbor, an honored citizen, a faithful Christian and a true man.
The funeral services were held at the Evangelical Church here Saturday afternoon at two o'clock, Rev. Charles Wunsch officiating. The remains were then laid to rest in Lyman Cemetery. Roberts Camp Modern Woodmen of America of which he has been a member for many years assembled at the grave to pay tribute to his memory.

--Roberts Herald.  23 april 1924.