Sexton, Erma {I181} (b. , d. ?)

Given Name: Erma

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Given Name: Barbara

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Given Name: Allen L

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Given Name: Lisa

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Source: (Birth)
Title: International Genealogical Index 4.01 -- North America,
Note: NS19953
Source Media Type: Microfilm
Repository:

Page: Batch number: F502143, Sheet: 27

Source: (Burial)
Title: Tombstone Inscriptions & Family Records of Carroll County, Ohio
Author: Esther Weygant Powell
Publication: 36 North Highland Avenue, Akron, Ohio 44303, 1973
Call number: Rool 6, No. 90900
Note: NS24463
Source Media Type: Microfilm
Repository:

Page: p. 124

Source: (Individual)
Title: Marriage Records, Probate Court, Jefferson County, Ohio
Note: Source Media Type: Official Document
Repository:

Page: p, 24, No. 35
Data:
Text: An unconfirmed source gives her name as Maria Elizabeth

Given Name: Elizabeth

Death: 7 May 1855 Carroll Co., Ohio

Burial: May 1855 Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Union Twp., Carroll Co., Ohio

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Given Name: Susan

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Given Name: August

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Given Name: Catharine

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Given Name: Donald Lee

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Given Name: Malinda (twin)

Death: --Not Shown--

Burial: --Not Shown--

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Given Name: William

Death: --Not Shown--

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Given Name: Eli

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Given Name: Joseph

Death: --Not Shown--

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Given Name: William

Death: --Not Shown--

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Given Name: Hiram

Death: 1 Jun 1894 Algonquin, Carroll Co., Ohio

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Given Name: Maria

Death: --Not Shown--

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Source: (Birth)
Title: Leffler, Lena
Note: Source Media Type: Other
Repository:

Given Name: Hilda Jo

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Given Name: Susanna

Death: --Not Shown--

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Note: [Levi Tope.GED]

The John Yost Wagner Family

"It was in the spring of 1881 that John and Anna Wagner decided toleave their home in Germany and travel with their family to NorthAmerica. They were living in or near Mornhausen, a small village in theLahn River valley in the Hessian Uplands. The university town of Marburgis close by. Today the Lahn River Valley is one of Hesse's richagricultural areas.
"John Wagner applied for a passport (1) in the early part of Aprilin their home county of Biedenkopf which at that time was a part of theKingdom of Prussia. The passport was issued to Johann Jost Wagner,landwirth or farmer, who was accompanied by his wife, Anna, son Juerg, 6,Heinrich, 5, Jacob, 4, Ludwig, 1 Christian, 1/4 (three months old), andhis sister, Maria. Their actual journey probably began around the firstof June of 1881, when John and Anna, the five boys, and John's sisterboarded a train and traveled to the port of Bremen. Because the overseastraffic is handled out of Bremerhaven on the North Sea, they proceeded onby train to Bremerhaven. There they boarded the ship Habsburg.
"On June 28, 1881, after a possible four-week journey, the steamship Habsburg arrived, at the port of New York. What must it have beenlike spending three or four weeks aboard ship with five boys six years ofage and under, and two of them probably still in diapers. How many timesthey must have heard, "I have to go to the bathroom", or "I'm hungry" or"I think I'm seasick" and of course, "Are we there yet?" And what awonderful feeling of relief and joy they must have had when the shipfinally docked. The Wagners would not have seen the Statue of Liberty,because it would be four more years before it would be erected in NewYork Harbor. They would go through Castel Garden for their immigrationprocedures. John would have to show their ID Tags, his passport and hisboat ticket. Then at another desk he had to show their birthcertificates, marriage certificate and immunization records. Then on tothe occupation area where he had to prove he was employable, and lastlythey all had to have a physical examination to be sure they did not havea communicable disease. The physical exam was an especially worrisomepart of the immigration procedure. If the doctors found somethingphysically wrong, you could be sent to the hospital or worse yet, not beallowed to enter the country. After passing all the tests, he wouldreceive landing cards. They next moved to the Money Exchange. Herecashiers exchanged gold, silver, and paper money from countries all overEurope for American dollars. For immigrants traveling to cities or townsbeyond New York City, the next stop was the railroad ticket office.Immigrants could wait in areas marked for each independent railroad linein the ferry terminal. When it was reasonably near the time for theirtrain's departure, they would be ferried on barges to the trainterminals. The Wagners must have gone through these procedures withoutincident. I don't remember hearing any stories to indicate otherwise.
"From New York they traveled by train to Anna or Sidney, Ohio, whereAnna Wagner's two brothers met them. Anna's older brother George Kramerand his wife, Katherine, and children arrived in the United States inMarch of 1880. Her younger brother,4 Louis Kramer, arrived in June of1880. At this time they were both living in Sidney, Ohio."

WHY DID THEY LEAVE GERMANY?

"Many people were leaving Germany at this time. Between 1880 and1885, 797,000 people left for the United States, and in 1881 when theWagners left, 220,000 came to the United States in that year alone. Bythis time practically everyone in Germany had an "Uncle" in America. Sowhy were they leaving? The population in the German states doubledbetween 1840 and 1910. David Blackhourn says in his book The LongNineteenth Century A History of Germany 1780-1918 "Emigration was the'safety-value' of rural overpopulation. It followed the rhythm of ruraldistress, with a certain time lag. The greatest volume of emigrationoccurred during relative upturns, after the opportunity had been taken topay off debt and land could be sold on a more buoyant market. Hence thepeaks in the 'good' years. The Great Depression (1873-79) had just cometo an end, so by 1880 we see the emigration pick up again.
"Between 1880-1889 most people left Germany for economic reasons.They wanted a better job and improve their standard of living. But AnnaWagner always said she left because she did not want her boys to serve inthe German army. It was compulsory at that time that every young maleserve some time in the military. Members of the German military were veryinfluential and often had special privileges and some were even feared.Mournhausen is in the province of Hesse, a part of Central Germany notedfor their 'Hessian' soldiers."

Shelby County, Ohio

"The Wagner family settled in Shelby County, Ohio. And the next timewe hear about them is in 1883. John's sister, Maria, who is now using theEnglish spelling of her name, Mary, has met and fallen in love withGeorge Fogt. J. M. Meissner, a Lutheran Pastor, married George W. Fogtand Mary Wagner April 10, 1883. Two years later, on April 3, 1885, JohnWagner applied for citizenship papers in Shelby County, stating that hewas a resident of McCartyville, Ohio. McCartyville is a small villageapproximately nine miles northwest of Sidney and nine miles southeast ofNew Bremen, an area in Ohio with a large German population. Interestingthat on, the very next day, April 4, 1885, George Kramer filed for hiscitizenship papers stating that he was living in Sidney, Ohio.
"We don't know what kind of employment John Wagner had inMcCartyville. It was a very small village. There were a couple sawmills,a general store, a blacksmith, a saloon and a creamery run by Kramer &Dickson. Whether there is a Kramer connection, we really don't know.Today McCartyville is little more than a crossroad with a few houses.
"Anna was 40 years old when, she gave birth to a daughter, MaryLouise, June 9, 1886, their only child born in America. This must havebeen a very special event as their first daughter, Anna, born in Germanyin 1878, died shortly after birth.
"On 8 April 21, 1887, John and his family became Citizens. John gavehis oath of allegiance to the United States of America and received hisCertificate of Citizenship from the Probate Court of Shelby County, Ohio.George and Charles Kraft were the two witnesses who attested to the facthe had been a resident of the United States for five years and a residentof Ohio for one year."

Paulding County

"In August of 1887, four months after becoming a United Statescitizen, John bought a 940-acre farm in Blue Creek Township in PauldingCounty, Ohio. So only six years after arriving in America, he had becomea citizen and a property owner. He bought the 40 acres from Joseph andMaria Farcult for $600.00, $15.00 per acre. The farm was near the Hiramand Levi Tope farms. It is interesting to note that although he boughtthe property in August of 1887, the deed was not recorded until October24, 1890. And on the same day the deed was recorded he sold this sectionof land to a William Martin for $600.00. Then one month later, onNovember 20, 1890, William Martin sold this very same section of landback to Anna Wagner for $625.00. Why, do this? I guess only John and Annacould tell us. As we will learn, Anna Wagner was a person with her ownvery definite ideas. By December 22 of that same year, (1887) GeorgeKramer had also become a citizen and bought the 1240 acres next to theWagner farm from the Farcult's for the same price.
"After Lewis and Belle were married they lived in a small home inBriceton, Ohio. Briceton was one of the small lumbering towns that around1880 became a thriving village overnight, and then within about 30 yearswas almost a ghost town. Briceton had a dry goods store, grocery, hoteland several residences; and John McGee operated a large stave factorythere. Lewis was a farm hand and worked for Ralph Magee who had severalfarms in the area. They lived in Briceton for about 10 years, and it washere they started their family.
"In March of 1913 the family moved to Tully Township in Van WertCounty and shared home with Lewis' parents. The senior Wagners had justpurchased a 100-acre farm, and it seemed a great opportunity for bothfamilies. Shortly after moving their baby daughter Florence became illand died May 1, 1913. It was at this time that John and Anna Wagnerbought 5 lots at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Convoy, Ohio, where Florencewas buried.
"The two families lived on this farm in Van Wert County during WorldWar I. We found a Registration Certificate dated Sept.1918 where LewisWagner, R 2, Convoy, registered for the draft. At this time Lewis was 39years old, married with five children, and a farmer. He was not drafted,and the war was over by November 11 of that year. Ann Hall remembersmany heated arguments between Lewis and his mother about his registeringfor the draft. His mother lamented that she had come to America so thather five boys would not have to serve in the Army, as was compulsory forall males in Germany in 1880. Also, she did not want him fighting his(German) cousins, and evidently refused to understand that he wasrequired by law to register for the draft.
"Also in 1918 there was a terrible world wide flu epidemic. TheWagner family was also effected by the epidemic, as everyone in thefamily was sick at one time except Anna Wagner and her granddaughterAnn. They took care of the other members of the family.
"So what was it like in rural Van Wert County in early 1900's? TheWagners were farmers. Their everyday chores would have been plowing,planting, harvesting crops; taking care of the horses, cows, andchickens, caring for a vegetable garden. Along with five otherneighbors, they ran a Sorghum mill, which was close to their farm. Theybelonged to a 'Thrashing ring.' This was a group of neighbors who wouldget together to harvest each other's crops. On the day the group was tobe working at your house, you were expected to furnish a dinner at noon.There could be 12 to 16 men. The old oak table was used many times forthe 'thrashers' meals. For their social life they belonged to a "SquareDance Group" which got together regularly. Lewis Wagner sometimes wouldbe the Square Dance Caller. He also played a small accordion. (He isremembered) as loving to dance, and eager to teach others. They playedcard games.
"Lewis Wagner was 5'7" tall, 1701bs. ruddy complexion, blue eyes andsandy colored hair. He was a Democrat and a staunch supporter of FranklinRoosevelt. Belle Wagner was about 5'1", a tendency to be a little plumb,and dark hair. She belonged to the Methodist church as a child, andjoined the Lutheran church after her marriage. Belle was very close toher sisters and brothers, and she and her family visited with them asoften as possible.
"This household often included extended family members. Charles andDick Finnegan, sons of Lewis' sister Mary, lived with them for awhile.Chris Wagner was divorced when his son was young, so his son "Bus" (John)Wagner spent many summers in this home also. 'Bus' kept in touch withthe family for a long time. He served 4 or 5 years in the South Pacificduring World War II. After the war he lived in Indianapolis and workedfor the Post Office. Jesse was a fellow employee at the PennsylvaniaRailroad who lived with the family for awhile. During the depressionseveral of the Wagners' married children lived with them. One such timewas in 1932, after the banks closed, when my parents and I (i.e., AnnHall) were part of this household.
"Ann Hall says that the home in Tully Township was a frame house, nolonger a log cabin. But it did not have electricity or indoor plumbing.Rural Free Delivery was started there in the early 1900's, so you nolonger had to go to the Post Office to pick up your mail. They did havea telephone, and the 1917 Home Telephone Company Directory of Van Wertlists John Wagner at R.F.D. No.2, Convoy. They had a party line andtheir phone number was 3S-three short rings.
Ann does not remember ever having a Christmas Tree in their home, orhaving any set up in any home in the community. They did celebrateChristmas, but it had no resemblance to the gift laden celebration wehave today.
"There were one-room schoolhouses every few miles. The school yearhad three terms. Fall, 2 months; winter, 4 months; and spring, 2 months.It was during the winter term that the attendance was large. Some of thepupils during the winter term were nineteen, twenty or twenty-one yearsold. Obviously you didn't have to attend all three terms if you wereneeded to work at home. The important subjects were reading, arithmetic,writing, and spelling. The other subjects were elective. Either thepupils or the parents did the electing. Geography and history were themost popular electives. Physiology and hygiene were introduced sometimebetween 1870 and 1900. Grammar was a subject taken mainly by those whointended to become lawyers, doctors, ministers, or teachers. Othersubjects found in some schools were physical geography and orthography,and occasionally algebra. The school was like the community center. Theyhad spelling bees, debating and literary societies. By the time Ann wasa junior in high school, they started consolidating the schools. Andafter awhile the school was no longer the community center as formerly,and the large boys and girls were no longer there. Sometime around 1920the Wagners purchased their first automobile. Although they usedtractors and other gasoline driven farm machinery, the purchase of thecar must have been a big event. Ann Hall believes it was a usedMaxwell. When she remembered the car she remembered they used to 'shockthe chickens' with the car battery. They would get a piece of metal, putcorn on it so that the chickens would come onto metal; then take thewires from the battery and make contact with the metal--thus giving thechickens a shock, and 'making them dance.'"

THE MOVE TO FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

"Whether it was for financial reasons, or family differences on howthe farm should be run, or whether Lewis just wanted a career change, buton January 18, 1923, he obtained a job in Fort Wayne working for thePennsylvania Raiford as a laborer in the 'Pensy Shops." Today, manypeople commute from Convoy to Fort Wayne and back every day, but in 1923,and a used Maxwell, the trip took long enough that Lewis boarded in FortWayne during the week and returned to the farm on week ends. In May of1924 Anna graduated from Convoy High School, and she, too, went to FortWayne and got a job at the Home Telephone Company.
"Lewis had been working in Fort Wayne for nine months when Anna andJohn Wagner decided to give the property to him. So on October 25, 1924,the day after Dorothy May Wagner was born, Anna Wagner deeded the farm toLewis and Edith Belle Wagner for the sum of $1.00. But by this time thefarm had two mortgages. One for $5,900.00 to the Mutual Benefit LifeInsurance Company and for one $2,600.00 to John Lamb. Lewis & Edith alsoassumed the responsibility for all interest accrued on the mortgages, andall taxes and special assessments now a lien on the property. What otherdebts they may have had are unknown.
"They tried for another season to make this farm profitable, but onNovember 27, 1925, Lewis & Edith Wagner deeded the 100-acre farm toAbraham and Isaac Weil of Allen County, IN, for just what they paid forit--the sum of $1.00. And from the proceeds of the sale of the farmmachinery, animals, crops, etc, they were able to buy a home at 2930Smith Street in Fort Wayne, IN and Lewis continued to work for thePennsylvania Railroad.
"One week before they sold the farm, November 21, 1925, ArthurWagner married Ivy Dawson and they remained in Convoy, Ohio. Ann Wagner,now 20 years old and already working and boarding in Fort Wayne, moved inwith the family again. But she was not there long, for on September 17,1927 she married Lewis Hall and they continued to make Fort Wayne theirhome. By March25, 1930, John married Mildred Lee, and they too, stayed inthe Fort Wayne area.
"It was at this time that Jesse (?), a fellow employee at thePennsylvania Railroad that Lewis felt sorry for, became a boarder at theWagner home. He lived with them until they moved to LaOtto.
"Then after five years of living in the city, Lewis must haveyearned to live in the country again. In the fall of 1930 he sold hishome on Smith Street and became a tenant farmer. To this new home, afarm in Swan Township south of LaOtto, IN., Lewis and Belle moved withtheir children Marie, 15, Helen, 12, Carl, 9 and Dorothy 6, and hisparents now in their 80's. It was in December of this same year thatboth Anna and John Wagner died. Lewis continued to work for thePennsylvania Railroad and farm. Between 1930 and 1943 the family movedsix times. In 1932 they were living on a farm near Spencerville, IN, andit was while they lived there that Marie married Dale Landgraff and theirdaughter, Beverly, was born. Helen attended Harlan High school (nearSpencerville) for three years, but by the time she started her senioryear; the family was living on a farm on California Road. So she had tochange schools and begin her senior year at Arcola High School where shegraduated in 1936. The East Side of this farm was adjacent to the ElksGolf Course. Very often the golfers would have a bad shot and their ballwould land in the Wagner's field. Lewis became so aggravated with thegolfers trampling his crops, that he would take his shotgun and go thefield next to the golf course and stand guard to prevent the golfers fromgetting on his crops. (Ann Hall) was a witness to this aggravation onseveral occasions--she was 8 or 9 at the time.
"In the fall of 1939 Lewis developed some health problems. He becamevery tried, had pains in his chest, lost weight and had trouble working.The company doctor sent him home to rest on various occasions, and thenrecommended several times he take a leave of absence. Finally in Marchof 1940 the company doctor said he was unable to work and should applyfor a pension. Which he did. He was seeing a Dr. Foy, evidently thecompany doctor, and when his health continued to deteriorate, the familytalked him into going to the Garrett Clinic. There they immediatelydiagnosed his condition as Pernicious Anemia. A condition easilyremedied. Within a matter of months, and with the proper treatment, hishealth was vastly improved, and he eventually regained full health.
"December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. This eventwould precipitate yet another change in the life of the Wagners, as itdid for millions of other Americans. Carl was 20 years old at the timeand soon was drafted into the army. The Sunday before he left for bootcamp the Lewis & Belle Wagner family all got together on the farm nearAvilla to say good bye and good luck to Carl.
"After Carl left for the service and Dorothy graduated from highschool and also started working at the General Electric in Fort Wayne,Lewis felt he would be unable to manage the farming by himself. So forthe second time they sold the farm animals and equipment, and moved backto Fort Wayne. Since he had lived on Smith Street when he lived in FortWayne before, he wanted to be in that area again. The family tried totell him that the neighborhood had changed considerably since he hadlived there before, but to no avail. He bought a house at 2328 SmithStreet where he lived until his death in 1963.
"Now that her parents were living in Fort Wayne again Helen moved inwith them, and Lewis took a job at the General Electric. He was 64, ingood health again, and because most of the young men were in the service,the factories needed workers. To work at the GE he had to show a birthcertificate, which he did not have because he was born in Germany. Hethen had to prove that he was indeed a citizen of the United States. Soon January 12, 1943, he went to the office of Charles Dare,Attorney-at-law and signed a Declaration of Citizenship stating the hewas a citizen by reason of his father's naturalization. On the form hehas filled out the name of his Father, where and when the naturalizationtook place, April 21, 1887, in the Probate Court of Sidney, Ohio. On June9, 1943, Charles Dare, received a letter from the U.S. Dept. of Justice,Immigration and Naturalization Service in Toledo, Ohio, that said theydid not have the record
there, but that they would have to send to Sidney, Ohio for it. Theymust have done this, because on October 1943, their old friend, RalphMagee signed an affidavit swearing that Lewis Wagner was the son of JohnJost Wagner.
"The Affidavit says: "Ralph L. Magee, being duly sworn upon his oath,deposes and says: That he (Ralph) is seventy-nine years of age and ispresently residing at the Fairfield Manor, in the City of Fort Wayne,Allen, County, Indiana:
'Affiant (Ralph) further says that prior and subsequent to the year1887 this affiant owned the Probate Court of Shelby County, Ohio,admitted to be a citizen of the United States of America, as evidenced bythe certificate of D.Bowersock, Probate Judge of said court dated asaforesaid. Affiant (Ralph) further says that he is well acquainted withLewis Wagner and knows of his own knowledge that he is a son of John JostWagner, and that Lewis Wagner is now approximately 64 years of age andthat he has known the said Lewis Wagner, he having been employed on hisfarms in Ohio about 1896 and subsequent years. That affiant makes thisaffidavit merely for the purpose of showing that Lewis Wagner is a son ofJohn Jost Wagner...'
"So by July 27, 1944, Lewis Wagner received his own CitizenshipCertificate. To (Lois') knowledge, he actually worked at the GE duringthis whole process--so much for government security.
"In the fall of 1952 Edith Belle and Lewis celebrated their 50thwedding anniversary with a large family gathering. By March of 1959Helen Wagner bought her own home on Boltz Avenue. So for the first time,after 59 years of marriage, Lewis and Belle were living by themselves. Inthe fall of 1962 they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. But bythe next spring Lewis' health was failing, and he died October 4, 1963,at the age of 84. The cause of death was Bronchopneumonia. He is buriedat the I.O.O.F. cemetery at Convoy, Ohio. In the spring of 1965 Edithdecided to move to Louisville, and live with her daughter, Dorothy. Soshe sold her home and most of the contents. Edith Belle lived withDorothy until 1971 when she became quite ill and moved to a nursing homein Fort Wayne. She died October 27, 1971 at the age of 89, and is alsoburied at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Convoy."

Source: Lois Hall Snouffer, The John Jost Wagner Family, December 1999

Source: (Birth)
Title: Descendancy Chart
Author: Lois Hall Snouffer
Publication: 17 January 2000
Note: Source Media Type: Other
Repository:

Page: p. 3
Data:
Text: cites death certificate Lewis Wagner-Board of Public Health, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Registered No. 1693

Source: (Death)
Title: Descendants of John Jost Wagner
Author: Lois Hall Snouffer
Publication: December 1999
Note: Source Media Type: Other
Repository:

Page: p. 1
Data:
Text: cites Death Certificate, Board of Public Health, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Registered No. 1693

Source: (Burial)
Title: Descendancy Chart
Author: Lois Hall Snouffer
Publication: 17 January 2000
Note: Source Media Type: Other
Repository:

Page: p. 11
Data:
Text: cites Lewis Wagner Memorial Card D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Home Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Given Name: Lewis

Death: 4 Oct 1963 Fort Wayne, Allen Co., Indiana

Burial: 7 Oct 1963 I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Convoy, Van Wert Co., Ohio

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