Serving the Nation and then Carnations
By Jessie Asay
David “Dave” Lawrence Wagner Sr.
October 6, 1926 – March 10, 1994
Dave in 1960, Naval Reserves
Dave Wagner’s life was marked by incredible kindness and service to others. His life began on October 6, 1926, in Montana, born to Joseph Francis Wagner and Lulu Beatrice Edman.[1] Joseph and Lulu had five children, four who survived to adulthood. Since Dave was the youngest, and there was a significant age gap between him and his older brothers, he took to following his mother around. She was an exceptional gardener, and he quickly developed his mother’s fondness for flowers and he developed a green thumb by watching her work and helping her when needed.[2] Dave went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Montana State College and a master’s degree from Colorado State University, specifically the Agricultural and Mechanical College based in Fort Collins. His interest in floriculture remained, and he wrote a thesis entitled “Some Effects of Temperature of Carnation Calyx Splitting” and was submitted on January 14, 1953, totaling 56 pages.[3] It was hand-typed, and bound, and is now available online.
All of the Wagner children served in the military, two in the Navy, one in the Marines, and one in the Army. Dave’s military career began after those of his brothers, and he enlisted in the Navy at age 18, on November 16, 1944.[4] In his family, joining the military was precedent, and his service was a reflection of his patriotic duty.[5] He was encouraged to join the Navy because his eldest brother Charles said that it was the branch of the military that came with the best food. The food must have been very enticing, as his Dave’s did not hinder his decision to join. His title was Lieutenant Junior Grade, and he earned this rank on April 25, 1944.[6] As he joined the military near the end of the war, he was not sent overseas.[7] He didn’t talk about his service often but would occasionally recount memories of his time in the service, especially time spent in Portland, Oregon. During this time, Oregon was bustling, as jobs in aluminum plants, shipyards, military bases, and lumber production for the war effort created a surge of migration.[8] The Navy, in particular, conducted operations down the coast to patrol for enemy ships and submarines.[9]
Dave, third from the left
Dave was released from active duty on July 24, 1946, and later joined the naval reserves. The Navy Reserve offers citizens the chance to serve on a part-time basis, training near home until called to Active Duty. A reservist can pursue a full-time civilian education or career, or obtain special military training while serving.[10] In Dave’s time as a reservist, he participated in local weekly meetings, and frequent training. On December 28, 1956, he was set up on a blind date and met his future wife, Ruth Louise Higel. After dating for a few short months, the pair decided to spend their lives together and married on August 3, 1957. They eventually settled down in Englewood, Colorado. Dave loved serving in the naval reserves and met some lifelong friends there. He took pride in his continued service and made sure his appearance reflected this, shining his shoes until they sparkled. He only retired from the reserves in August of 1966, only after deciding to spend more time with his family.
When he was not working with the reserves, he worked as a salesman at Gard'n-Wise Distributors and was a member of the Greenhouse Growers Association. Dave would consistently fill the house with flowers, primarily carnations (as those were his specialty and favorite), and separate them into separate containers so he could add special mixtures of growing solutions and determine which ones worked best. Colorado, with its high altitude climate of sunny days and cool nights, proved to be an excellent place to cultivate carnations.[11] In 1974, Colorado was the number one producer of carnations worldwide, which meant Dave was plenty busy between his career and the commitment to his growing family.[12]
Dave is remembered fondly for his infectious smile and warm heart. When asked what she’d like him to be remembered for, Ruth smiled and replied: “his kindness.”[13] His untimely passing due to an auto accident left a hole in many people’s lives, but the memory of his service and selflessness remains. He is survived by his wife, six children, and numerous grandchildren.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. ; https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/167987256/person/322181677760/story, (Accessed September 2, 2020).
[2] Ruth Wagner, interview by Jessie Asay, Broomfield, Colorado, July 9, 2020, DU VLP.
[3] Wagner, David Lawrence. “Some Effects of Temperature on Carnation Calyx Splitting.” 1950-1979 - CSU Theses and Dissertations. Colorado State University. Libraries, January 1, 1970. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/35379, (Accessed September 2, 2020).
[4] Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.
[5] Ruth Wagner, interview by Jessie Asay, Broomfield, Colorado, July 9, 2020, DU VLP.
[6] United States Military Registers, 1902–1985. Salem, Oregon: Oregon State Library.
[7] Ruth Wagner, interview by Jessie Asay, Broomfield, Colorado, July 9, 2020, DU VLP.
[8] “Oregon Secretary of State,” State of Oregon: Blue Book - Oregon History: World War II, https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/state-ww2.aspx, (Accessed August 20, 2020).
[9] Ibid.
[10] “Navy Reserve - Today's Military,” - Today's Military, https://www.todaysmilitary.com/ways-to-serve/service-branches/navy-reserve, (Accessed August 20, 2020).
[11]Linda Meyer, “Https://Today-Archive.colostate.edu/story4c18.Html?Id=415,” Today @ Colorado State University - The glory days of Colorado carnations, January 7, 2009, https://today-archive.colostate.edu/story4c18.html?id=415, (Accessed September 2, 2020).
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ruth Wagner, interview by Jessie Asay.
All photos provided by Ruth Wagner.
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