Hometown: Maquoketa, Iowa April 09, 1930 - May 12, 2014

John C. Wagener, 84, of Maquoketa, Iowa, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, May 12th, 2014. Funeral Mass will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 16th at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maquoketa. Friends may call on Thursday from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Lahey Funeral Home, and from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. before the Funeral Mass on Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, both in Maquoketa. Burial will be at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery with Military Honors.

John Charles Wagener was born on April 9th, 1930 to Roy and Olga (Kurt) Wagener on a farm east of Andrew, Iowa. He attended country schools, graduating from Andrew High School in 1948 and enlisted in the Army serving in Japan during the Korean War. In 1955 he was united in marriage to Ann T. Shea at Saint Patrick's Church in Delmar, Iowa. He started working as a salesman for Modern Motors Ford in Maquoketa and purchased the business a few years later, operating John Wagener Ford until 1981. He also farmed and was a pioneer in the pre-fab housing industry building and selling hundreds of Clark Built Homes throughout the Midwest. He was one of the founders of the Swagosa Hills sub-division and operated several other stores in Maquoketa such as Happy Travel Agency, Radio Shack and Can City.

He was an accomplished pilot flying throughout North America, buying, refurbishing and selling airplanes. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and loved to travel, play cards and fish.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years and seven children; Nancy (Dr. Michael) Breneman of Arlington, WA, Robert (Julie) Wagener of Maquoketa, Dr. Sharon (Robert) DeWolf of Redmond, WA, Michael (Jill) Wagener of Maquoketa, Kay (Tom) Brotzman of Hazel Green, WI, Mary Ann (Randy) Renner of Maquoketa, and Dr. John Pat (Amy) Wagener of Janesville, WI, and one brother Le Roy (Pauline) Wagener of DeWitt, also 16 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Memorials are preferred.