Great Grandma Wagner

Not sure why but thoughts tonight reflected on Great Grandma Wagner. She was like any other Lohr--stubborn, hard working, stoic, and downright silly. Never got to meet Grandpa Wagner but apparently he was a crazy fella and one never knew what the heck he was going to do next. They owned a farm of about 400 acres (a lot in those days) which my dad says was the place where he learned to cuss like a sailor, drink a beer after a long hard days work in the summer, and be employed by someone other than his father. Grandma and Grandpa Wagner were two peas in a pod and were married for at least 50 years. He thought the world of her and she the same of him. You don't come by love and commitment like that every day.

When I was 6 or 7, Great Grandma Wagner had an apartment in town, just off the Wisconsin river. She had moved off the farm once Grandpa Wagner died to live in "town". (a community of about 4,000 people at that time) Our family would take her to church from time to time or stop by randomly to check on her and give her a little company. Her place was very small with a steep set of stairs, she lived on the top floor. It had a summer porch off the back where she would drink lemonade and listen to the radio. Grandma W. lived there for a long time and eventually she started to "forget" things, what they now term as early stage Alzheimer's. I remember hearing dad say that she was "losing it" and being confused as to what it meant.

One time after church we stopped in to take her to dinner. (Dinner in WI is at lunch, wherein dinner becomes supper. How Little House on the Prairie is that?!?!) My mom and I climbed the mountainous staircase, knocked on the door and after some time Grandma W. appeared. She had us in for a bit while she finished getting ready to go out and there was a terrible stench in the apartment. Mom, in her very midwestern way said "Now Grandma Wagner, what do you suppose that smell is?" to which she replied, "I have been trying to figure that out for days, glad you noticed Doris.". We all looked around here and there and eventually Mom found a pan of stew under the couch. Grandma W. began to forget more and more important things. Leaving the iron on, cooking things on the stove and burning them to a crisp forgetting they were there, what day it was and that we were picking her up for church. At some point she was placed in a nursing home and we still went to visit however it was depressing at best. She would tell us the same story about how when she was a young girl on the farm she would go help neighbors, jump the fence here, there, and the next thing she would be at home again and it was nightfall. Then she would start in again...."I would visit the Yankees, and then hop the fence to the Millers..." It was sad to see such a brilliant woman deteriorate so quickly.

Not exactly sure what made me think of Great Grandma Wagner today. But I'm glad I did. Makes me think about where I came from and ended up the person I am today. Great Grandma Wagner where ever you are, thanks for all your hugs, jokes, stories, and general silliness. You are missed. Oh, and she made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies too! Like any good German farm wife would ya' know!