Since Clara Mueller was born in the late 1800’s, she never would experience the worldwide web. However, she did experience a different W.W.W., one who is today’s birthday boy.

Wilhelm Wilson Wagner was born on October 8, 1895, so today would be his 128th birthday. Wilson was the son of Samuel and Margaretha (Sommer) Wagner. That qualifies Wilson to be called the grandson of the operators of the Wagner Hotel in Altenburg…Gustav and Theresa (Palisch) Wagner. He was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can take a look at Wilson’s baptism record below.

Wilson is found at the age of 4 in the 1900 census. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

In a map made in 1915, we see that the Samuel Wagner farm was located not far from the town of Brazeau.

Wilson was still living with his parents when the 1910 census was taken. He was 14 years old at the time.

In 1917, Wilson had his World War I draft registration completed. He gave a Seventy-Six, Missouri address. He was working on his father’s farm and still single. Wilson’s birth year on this form is given as 1896, not 1895.

Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become Wilson’s wife. Her name was Clara Amalia Mueller, who was born on September 21, 1895. Clara was the daughter of Emanuel and Sophia (Grosse) Mueller. She was born just a few weeks before Wilson Wagner and baptized at the same congregation. Clara’s baptism record is displayed here.

Clara is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. Her father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

The 1915 plat maps show the Emanuel Mueller farm located not far from Frohna.

A photograph of the Emanuel Mueller family was taken not long after the 1900 census was taken. Clara was the youngest daughter in this family, so one must conclude that Clara is the young girl standing in the front next to her mother.

The 1910 census shows Clara still living with her parents. She was 14 years old, and it says she was working as a servant for a private family.

Wilson Wagner married Clara Mueller, but I failed to find out exactly where or when their wedding took place. It must have been after 1917 when Wilson said he was single on his WWI draft registration. It also must have been before 1920. When the 1920 census was taken, we find Wilson and Clara living in Potter, Nebraska with a baby named Earl, who was born in August of 1919. Three of Clara’s brothers were also in the Wagner household. Not only that. Another brother, Oscar, and his small family are found right below the Wagner’s.

Fairly early in her life, Clara was included in a photo. This cropped photo of just Clara is all I am able to display. I do not know if she was Clara Mueller or Clara Wagner at the time it was taken.

The Wagner couple did not remain in Nebraska very long. When their next child was born on the first day of 1921, he was baptized at Concordia, Frohna. So, the Wagner’s must have moved back to Perry County. However, they did not live there very long either. A girl was born to this couple in 1923, and her baptism record is not found in any local church books. I figure the Wagner’s moved to Jefferson County, Missouri prior to that child’s birth. In the 1930 census, the Wagner’s were living in the Valle Township in Jefferson County, Missouri not far from De Soto. There were 3 children in their family. Wilson is called a laborer on a general farm.

Next, we find the Wagner’s in the 1940 census. They were living in Fletcher, Missouri in the Big River Township in Jefferson County. Wilson was a farmer. Earl was no longer in their household, but another son had been born, so once again, there were 3 children in their household.

Wilson had a World War II draft card completed in 1942. Once again, a military document has Wilson’s year of birth wrong. This time, it says he was born on 1894.

Wilson and Clara had an empty nest when the 1950 census was taken. There is no occupation described on this entry, but it indicates that he was working.

Wilson Wagner died in 1979 at the age of 84. Clara Wagner died in 1995, two weeks after she turned 100 years old. These two are buried together in the Woodlawn Memorial Park in De Soto, Missouri.

There is a puzzling fact in this story. Wilson and Clara were each baptized at the same church just a matter of weeks apart from one another. You would figure that they would each get confirmed in 1909, and they did. However, they were not in the same class. Clara, as expected, was confirmed at Concordia, Frohna, but Wilson’s confirmation record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. There has to be a story there, but I do not know it.