Clair Wagner

Clair Wagner, 86, of Lansing died peacefully in his home surrounded by family February 11, 2023. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, February 17 and from 9:45-11:45 a.m. Saturday, February 18. Scripture service will take place at 4 p.m. Friday and Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, all taking place at Immaculate Conception Church in Lansing.

In lieu of flowers, donations/memorials may be made to Holy Family of the Bluffs Faith Formation, Gethsemane Cemetery Restoration, or Crossing Rivers Hospice of Prairie du Chien, WI.

Clair Francis Wagner was the fourth son and eighth child in the Frank and Monica (Hogan) Wagner family.  He was born in Waukon April 1, 1936. Clair graduated from Immaculate Conception (IC) High School in Lansing in 1954. At IC, Clair was a catcher on the baseball team and a key member of their 1954 Archdiocesan Championship basketball squad.

Through his friend John Hawes he met a beautiful young lady, Catherine Cerney, from Winona, MN. Clair and Cathy exchanged wedding vows November 15, 1958 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Winona. Clair and Cathy were the proud parents of ten children.

Clair and Cathy were devoted, hardworking people who raised their family in the Catholic faith. Family and faith were always first for the Wagners. Clair and Cathy were committed to and nurtured their faith throughout their life as evidenced by their taking part in the Cursillo program in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Clair loved and cared for the land, diligently raising beef cattle. He greatly enjoyed the outdoors. He learned to hunt from his father and passed that skill onto his sons and grandsons. Clair also worked as a Union carpenter. He began his career in the trades working in Cook County, IL. Clair and his friend Ralph Mettille traveled to many carpenter jobs, mostly in La Crosse, WI and Waterloo. His coworkers regarded him as someone you could look up to and learn from.

He enjoyed sports. He grew up a Milwaukee Braves baseball fan and in later years avidly followed the Milwaukee Brewers. If the Iowa Hawkeye men’s or women’s basketball teams were playing on radio or television, Clair was sure to be tuned in. Following his grandchildren’s athletic endeavors was a source of joy for Clair.

Clair Wagner is survived by four sons: Patrick, Paul (Arla), Andrew (Erica) and Matthew (Ann), all of Lansing; and five daughters, Angela (Tom) Weighner and Rita (the late Dave) Newton, both of Waukon, Sara (Julian) Gonzales of Visalia, CA, Mary (Jeff) Loeffelholz of Waukee and Beth (Jamie) Pursely of Wendell, NC. He is also survived by 24 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Doris Wagner and Betty Drier; one brother-in-law, Bernard Drier; and dozens of nieces and nephews.

Clair was preceded in death by his wife, Catherine; his parents, Frank and Monica; his father- and mother-in-law, Bernard and Elizabeth; a son, Peter Clair; three grandchildren, Katie Weighner, Elijah Wagner and Lily Pursely; and his son-in-law, David (Newt) Newton. All of his siblings, including sisters Mildred Wagner, Leota (Dot) Pfiffner, Bernice Walleser, Dolores Walleser and Lucille Wesseln, and brothers Mel, Cletus (Bud) and Kenneth, preceded Clair in death.

The Wagner family is appreciative of the compassionate care provided by Crossing Rivers Hospice and Veterans Memorial Hospital, the visits from local clergy, friends and relatives and the prayers of our community in his final days.  God bless each one of you.