Mary E Wagner

Mary Elizabeth (Traastad) Wagner
April 23, 1939 – October 26, 2025
Mary Elizabeth Wagner (née Traastad), age 86, of Des Plaines, Illinois, passed
away peacefully, surrounded by friends and family, on October 26, 2025.
Born on April 23, 1939, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Mary was the oldest daughter
of Orville and Magdalene Traastad. She grew up on a farm in rural Westby,
Wisconsin. Mary spent her childhood helping on the family farm, working in
tobacco fields, and caring for her brothers, sisters and grandfather. She
graduated from Westby High School in 1957 and then pursued a nursing degree
at St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota.
After college, she moved to Des Plaines, Illinois, and began a lifelong career as a
neonatal nurse. She was married to Fred Wagner, Jr. in 1964 and they were
together for fifty years, until his passing in 2015. Mary was a proud, loving mother
to Jeff and Eric, and cherished mother-in-law to Parris.
Mary found joy in spending time with friends and family, cooking and sharing
meals, and watching the Cubs. She was a den mother, picture lady, scorekeeper,
chauffeur, and caregiver. Her kindness, gentle spirit, and genuine interest in
others made everyone feel welcome and cared for.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Fred, her sister Jeanne (Bob), and
her sister Pauline. She is survived by her three brothers Doug (Karen), Thore,
and Randy.
Mary will be dearly missed by all who knew her, and her memory will live on in
the hearts of those she loved.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran
Church, 675 E. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, Illinois. Visitation will begin at 9:30
a.m., followed by a service at 11:00 a.m.
For those not able to attend in person: https://www.youtube.com/@trinitylutherandesplaines6578