Dona Wagner

Dona Mae Wagner was born May 10, 1929, to Edward and Agnes (Zaviska) Bruzik in Hudson Township, Douglas County, Minnesota. She grew up in the Forada area where she attended country school and graduated from Alexandria High School in 1946. Following her graduation she worked at the Red Owl Grocery Store in Alexandria. She was united in marriage to Otto J. Wagner on June 17, 1947, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria. Following their marriage they moved to Osakis where they owned and operated the Red Owl Grocery Store and raised their family. After selling the store in the late 1960's, she worked at Knute Nelson, Anderson Florist, White Mart, Traveler's Inn in Alexandria. In 1977, she and Otto opened a half-way house in Osakis. She worked as a chemical dependency counselor in Moorhead and Wadena. She attended Alexandria Technical College for dietary management. She was involved in ARIA, fund raising for non-profit organizations and Service 800, follow up service calls. She was a chaplain at the Community Memorial Home in Osakis. She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, its Christian Mothers and the VFW Auxiliary. She was involved in TEC, REC and Marriage Encounters through the church and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She was a care-giver, traveling to Arizona to help her family. Her gift was helping others help themselves. Her hobbies included knitting, bowling, playing bridge and dancing.
Dona is survived by four daughters, Sandra (Bun) Fischer of Elbow Lake, Kathi (Donnie) Doyle of Savage, Patricia Arndt of Vadnais Heights and Therese (Douglas) Johnson of Alexandria; two sons, Michael (Cynthia) Wagner of Mankato and Brian (Helen Ann) Wagner of Alexandria; a brother, Marvin (Maureen) Bruzik of Alexandria; eight grandchildren, Shanna, Aaron, Stefanie, Tony, Derek, Liesl, Jay and Maxwell and two great grandchildren, Jasper and Henry.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Otto in 2000, a granddaughter, Michelle and a sister, Karen.
Pallbearers will be Dave Sogge, Ray Rutten, Dave Wyatt, Jim Joeger, Terry Siebert and Curt Kluver. Honorary pallbearers will be her grandchildren.