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The Life of FRANK LOWELL WAGONER

FRANK “LOWELL” WAGONER  

January 5, 1928-May 29, 2014

 

Frank “Lowell” Wagoner was born January 5, 1928 in Des Moines, Iowa to Frank E. and Carol M. Wagoner (Couch).  He lived in various towns in Dallas County until he was 10 years old when the family moved to California.  They returned to Adel when he was 17. He graduated from Adel High in 1945.  He spent one semester at Central College in Pella and then enlisted in the United States Navy.  He met his first wife, Shirley I. Pinyerd and upon his discharge, they moved back to Dallas County, first to Adel, then Perry.   He began working for Northwestern Bell Telco a career which lasted 35 years. (One of Lowell’s goals was to have drawn a pension for longer than he worked – and he almost made it, 32 plus years).

Daughter, Linda A, was born November, 1949, then son Jeffrey L, born March, 1951.  Lowell was a member of the Christian (Disciples) Church and Otley Masonic Lodge #299.  Late in 1966, the family moved to Altoona when he was promoted to a management position in Des Moines.  He and Shirley divorced sometime later. He married Carole Squaires along with step-daughter Sheri.  After daughter, Michelle Christine was born September 1968, the family moved to acreage in rural Altoona.  Carole was killed in a tractor accident in May, 1978, and Lowell’s life was never quite the same.  In 1987 he moved back to the family century farm, south of Adel, where he lived until his final few weeks.  In his later years, he partnered with a keyboard player Francis James and sang at many nursing homes around central Iowa.

He remained active in the Masonic Lodge until the very end, belonging first to Adel Lodge #80, then Otley Lodge #299 in Perry, King David Lodge #40 in Altoona and finally full circle back to Adel Lodge. He served in several capacities, proudly serving as Grandmaster of Iowa (1990-91). Lowell was also very active in the American Shire Association including being the Secretary for many years.  He managed the horse barn at the State Fair for several years as well.  Another passion of his was building and remodeling which he worked at throughout his adult life, including the family homestead on the Wagoner’s century farm, and the home in which his mother had been born. This proved to be his never-ending project.

Lowell is preceded in death by his father and mother, wives Shirley and Carole, and daughter Linda.  He is survived by three brothers: Larry (Phyllis) of Casa Grande, Arizona, Jon (Gracie) of Sioux City, Iowa and George (Norma) of Denver, Colorado; former wives Jolene and Jackie; son Jeff (Rhonda) of Winterset, Iowa, daughter Michelle (Dave) of Ankeny and step-daughter Sheri (Squaires) of Pleasant Hill, as well as son-in-law Craig (Susan) of Olathe, Kansas, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Masonic services will be held at the First Christian Church in Adel on Friday, June 20th, at 2:00 PM. Visitation to follow at 3:00 PM, memorial services at 4:00 PM.  Interment will be at Highland Memory Gardens, in Des Moines on Saturday June 21st at 10:00 AM.  Visit www.highlandmemorygardens.com for more information.

Memorials may be directed to the Adel Masonic Lodge #80 or the First Christian Church in Adel.>

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2015.06.25

I'm truly sorry for the loss of your family member. It sounds like he was a kind and loving man and those are hard to find. I am writing because I am doing a search for Wagoners in Iowa and was only aware of my family members who were from the Grundy Center, Iowa area. At this point, there are very few of us left and I would love to know that, perhaps, your family and mine are related. Please contact me if you wish and maybe we can find some common family roots! With thanks, Mary Wagoner
Posted by Mary W