Allen Wagner

Allen William Wagner, 87, a longtime resident of Yakima, flew away home to be with his Creator on September 28, 2024. Born on June 28, 1937, Allen, was the 2nd child out of four to be born to Adrian and Naomi Lewis-Wagner. He spent his childhood in Cowitche, WA with his brothers Leonard, Raymond, and youngest sister Rosalie. As time passed he referred to himself as ‘the last of the Mohicans’ as everyone in his family had passed on before him. Allen worked on his family’s farm and his Uncle Arlie Knight’s horse ranch in Sunnyside for years, until he answered the call to join the US Army in 1960. Serving as an army medic in the burn ward at the military hospital in San Antonio, Texas, was a hard and gut wrenching experience. The stories he told about his time as an army medic and treating severely burned individuals often rivaled the traumatic experiences of wartime. Allen made it to Sergeant E5 before completing his service in 1966 he missed deployment to the Vietnam War by one week. Upon returning to Yakima, he began two new phases of his life. First, a marriage to Jeane Brown-Wagner, which lasted many years until her untimely death due to a car accident in 2012. Secondly, a new job at Boise Cascade, where he worked as a quality control plywood grader until his retirement in 2002. Allen, who liked to go by Al, and often referred to himself when meeting people as, "your ol’ pal Al" loved fishing, hunting, gardening, and reading books. His favorite genre was the World War II era. Another favorite activity of Al was his exercise routine. For years, until he became sick in August with cancer, he faithfully woke up around six in the morning to begin his hour long exercise routine. This work out, using a home gym, air stepper, row machine, along with push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises, was truly a sight to behold. Al was a big dog lover. Over the course of his lifetime he owned many dogs, gave to charities, and considered puppy breath the best smell in the world. Spiritually, Al was a Christian who deeply loved God and attended church faithfully all of his life. He had an anointed singing voice and was often asked to do solos. One of the most requested songs at Christmas time was for Al to sing, ‘I Wonder as I Wander.’ He enjoyed using his voice to praise his Heavenly Father and blessed everyone who heard him sing. Besides attending church, Al enjoyed participating in the Senior Adult Ministries Group at West Valley Missionary Church where he attended several years. He also loved meeting with his veteran brothers in a group called Pointman. Even though he had cancer, he was blessed to have no pain with it. He also had a great appetite and was able to enjoy food to the very end; with his last meal being a large helping of KFC mashed potatoes and gravy on the 26th. His passing was peaceful. He is survived by several nieces and nephews, his three children: Alana Wagner, Elida Stewart, and Jeff Wagner - his six grandchildren: Adriana Wagner, Ashly Cuevas, Cortney Stevens, Morganne Roy, Ariel Augustine, and Judah Roy. And last but not least, his great granddaughter Atreyu Augustine. He was loved by many and will be sorely missed. A military funeral will be held in his honor at Tahoma Cemetery on November 8th, 2024, at 1 PM to be followed by food and a time for sharing stories and memories of Al at West Valley Missionary Church. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Allen Wagner, please visit our flower store.