Rev. John D. Wagoner (1930-2002)

WAGONER, TUTTLE, KELLUM, MULLER, GAINES, KOOL, KENNEDY

Posted By: volunteer
Date: 4/6/2015 at 20:51:51

The Rev. John D. Wagoner, 71, of Oskaloosa, died Saturday, Jan. 5, at Iowa Methodist medical Center in Des Moines. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Central United Methodist Church in Oskaloosa, the Rev. Lanny Tuttle of CUMC and the Rev. Kelly Kellum of College Avenue Friends Church officiating. The body has been cremated; no visiting hours are planned. Burial will be at a later date. Memorials: The John & Rose Wagoner Endowed Scholarship Fund at William Penn University, Central United Methodist Church or College Avenue Friends Church.

John was born to Irene and Otha Wagoner in Marshalltown on Aug. 4, 1930. He grew up near Hartland and graduated from Le Grand High School. He then spent five years in the United States Air Force. He married Rose Muller on March 21, 1952, while stationed at Erding Air Force Base in Bavaria, Germany. He completed his service at Samson Air Force Base in New York. He earned his bachelor's degree in liberal arts at William Penn College in Oskaloosa, and earned an advanced degree in theology from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. He held honorary doctoral degrees from William Penn College in humanities, St. Petersburg Theological Seminary in divinity, and an honorary Ed.E. from Sunshine Women's University in Seoul, Korea. He was interim pastor at several Methodist churches in southeast Iowa, including Chillicothe, Columbia, Christiansburg and West Hill Methodist in Burlington. He also led services at several Oskaloosa churches, including St. Paul Congregational United Church of Christ, First Presbyterian and College Avenue Friends Church. In 1964, he accepted a post as director of development at William Penn College, a position he held until his election as William Penn president in 1985. He retired in 1995. Since retirement he enjoyed reading and writing, and wrote "A Continuing Purpose," a history of William Penn University from 1970 to present. He also was chaplain for the Antique Airplane Association. He enjoyed bike riding, hiking, playing the accordion and spending time with his family. At the time of his death he was working with a consortium on writing a book on Quaker colleges and universities in America; he wrote the sections on William Penn University.
He is survived by his wife, Rose Wagoner of Oskaloosa; three sons and daughters-in-law: Steve and Mary Wagoner of Maples, Fla., Jim and Linda Wagoner of Orlando, Fla., and Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines of Madison, Wis.; a daughter and son-in-law: Cindy and Nick Kool of Columbus, Neb.; six grandchildren: Jason and wife Valerie Wagoner, Drew Wagoner, Erin and John Paul Wagoner, and Nathan and Lacey Kool; two brothers and sisters-in-law: Dick and Janet Wagoner of Garwin and Bill and Joyce Wagoner of Muncie, Ind.,; a sister and brother-in-law: Mary and Steve Kennedy of Marshalltown; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, David.

(Oskaloosa Herald January 7, 2002)