Sister Marie Wagner, CSA
Sister Marie Wagner, CSA, formerly known as Sister Nicholas, died
peacefully July 2, 2021, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Marie was born in the Town of Mosel, Wisconsin, on January 1, 1922, the daughter of Anton J. Wagner and Mary Zimmermann Wagner. Marie’s mother, Mary, died shortly after childbirth. Her maternal grandparents raised Marie until Anton remarried when Marie was still very young. Marie was then blessed with two half-brothers. Together, they became a very close-knit family.
Marie graduated from St. Mary’s Springs Academy in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in June 1940 and in August entered St. Agnes Convent. She made her profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes on August 15, 1943.
Sister received a B.S. in Education from Marian College of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1953. She earned her M.S. in Education, with a concentration in counseling, from St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, updating her professional knowledge and skills throughout her years as educator and counselor.
Sister Marie ministered for 27 years in parish schools in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. She joined the staff of Marian College in 1971 and was an elementary school counselor for the Fond du Lac Area Catholic Schools. From 1972 until 1981, she provided educational and career counseling for Marian College students.
In 1981, Sister Marie began a variety of volunteer ministries in Fond du Lac. She assisted in the archives of the Sisters of St. Agnes before moving in 1985 to Nazareth Heights where she generously offered support for other residents.
She volunteered at the Fond du Lac Senior Center, St. Agnes Hospital, and as a counselor for the ADVOCAP Neighborhood Youth Corps. In 1998, she moved with the retired sisters from Nazareth Heights to Nazareth Court and Center where she shared actively in the life of the community until shortly before her death.
Sister Marie was preceded in death by her parents, Anton J. and Mary Zimmermann Wagner; her stepmother, Nerina Pfister Wagner; and her two beloved half-brothers, Hilmer Wagner and Victor (Dorothy) Wagner.
Sister is survived by her sister-in-law, Hazel Wagner, nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.
Visitation will be held at Nazareth Court and Center, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin from 9:00 -11:00 am and from 12:00 -1:30 pm on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. Please check in for the Visitation at the 375 Gillett Street entrance only.
In view of current health precautions, a Prayer Service and Funeral Mass will be held privately on July 7, 2021, with limited attendance. Father Kenneth Smits, Capuchin, will preside at the Liturgy of Christian Burial at St. Francis Home, 33 Everett Street. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Memorials may be directed to the CSA Mission Advancement Office, 320 County Road K, Fond du Lac, WI 54937.
The Sisters of St. Agnes are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center, St. Francis Home, and Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Marie during her final years.
Zacherl Funeral Home is serving the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.