ALBERT — Gladys K. Wagner, 95, died Sept. 13, 2026. She was born April 17, 1931, in Hooker, Okla., the daughter of Joseph and Florine (Mitchell) Schnell. She was the oldest of five children, with three brothers and one sister.
Before she married, Gladys taught at the Seventh-day Adventist church school in Shaffer, Kan. On Sept. 5, 1952, she married P. Dale Wagner in Enterprise, Kan. They made their home in Rush County, where they raised four children and spent more than 62 years together before Dale’s death on June 10, 2015.
Gladys was an integral part of the family farm and remained proud of it throughout her life. She talked often about the farm, the work that went into it, and the life she and Dale had built there.
Education mattered deeply to Gladys and Dale. They pushed and encouraged their children to continue their education, and Gladys often reminded them, “Your education is something no one can ever take away from you.” Her encouragement stayed with them throughout their lives. Lenard became a physician, Sandy an accomplished nurse, Kayla an educator, and Todd a psychologist.
Her family was always important to her. A phone call with Gladys usually included questions about each of her grandchildren by name. She wanted to know how they were doing, what they were working on, and what was happening in their lives.
In the last years of her life, her daughter Sandy was especially important in caring for her and making sure she had the support she needed.
Survivors include two sons, Dr. Lenard Wagner, and his wife Jeannene of Hobbs, N.M., and Dr. Todd Wagner and his wife Janelle of Walla Walla, Wash.; two daughters, Sandy Hold of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Kayla Booth and her husband Richard of Higbee, Mo.; one brother, Jerry Schnell; 11 surviving grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, P. Dale Wagner; her parents, Joseph and Florine Schnell; two brothers, Joseph and Alex Schnell; her sister, Opal Hagelgantz; and two grandsons, Nathan Wagner and Andrew Hold.
A graveside service for family and friends will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at the Seventh-day Adventist Cemetery in Shaffer, Kan. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at the La Crosse Seventh-day Adventist Church in La Crosse, Kan. Memorials are suggested to the donor’s choice of the Albert, Otis, or Timken Fire Departments, in care of Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Rd., Great Bend, KS 67530. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Sept. 15, 2026
