Wagner's generosity helping business students

For generations to come, Marie Wagner will share the fruits of her long years of hard work and business success with Illinois Valley Community College students.

Following her death in 2003 at the age of 100, Marie left $100,000 in her will to create a business scholarship at Illinois Valley Community College. The scholarship is named for Marie, a businesswoman and generous volunteer, and her brother Henry, a legendary Westclox salesman.

From the farm to Fifth Avenue

Born in 1891, Henry grew up on a farm across the river from Starved Rock before it was a state park. By 18 he was driving a truck for the U.S. Army. He rose in rank and was about to be commissioned as a Second Lt. when the army learned his father did not have naturalization papers (they had been destroyed in a house fire). As his commission was being delayed, the war ended.

He had begun his professional career at 14 as an office boy (i.e. go-for) at Westclox. Under his 51-year watch at Westclox, the La Salle-Peru clock maker grew from 81 employees in 1905 to over 4,000. A lead salesman for the company, Henry was promoted up the line to eventually become General Time Corporation’s Vice President with an office on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Henry saw the company become the largest clock factory in the world as “Big Ben” and “Baby Ben” became household names. He and his wife retired to La Salle where he became involved with the La Salle National Bank board, the Hygienic Institute, Deer Park Country Club, Red Cross and other civic organizations. He died at the age of 83.

Marie, Henry’s youngest sister, was born on Berlin Street (later changed to Lafayette Street during World War I) in La Salle in 1902. As a teen she moved with her parents to a Wisconsin dairy farm.

After high school she was employed as a clerk at Consolidated Water and Paper Co. in Wisconsin Rapids. She was promoted to secretary to the president for the company that made magazine print for Time, Life, Fortune and other publications.

Cubs and crosswords

In 1955 Marie moved to La Salle to live with her recently widowed brother. She was active with the Red Cross Bloodmobile for many years and was a member of the La Salle Professional Woman’s Club and La Salle Congregational Church.

An avid Cub fan, she seldom missed a game on radio or later TV. She knew the batting average of every Cub. An expert at crossword puzzles, she could complete the puzzle within a few minutes of The Daily Chicago Tribune hitting her front door.

85 years without a scratch

Well into her 90s, she drove friends to doctor’s appointments, shopping and other errands. A few weeks before her 98^th birthday Marie was confident she would pass another driving exam. She’d driven for 85 years without an accident. She was informed, however, that she failed the eye exam. She informed the examiner that she’d recently passed an eye test administered by her doctor. When she produced the exam results the examiner told her she could proceed to the driving portion of the test. She was asked to parallel park on a steep hill. She completed the task but felt she’d been discriminated against. Other drivers aren’t required to do such a difficult maneuver, she said.

When she returned to the license facility she was informed she’d be reissued her driver’s license. The next day she phoned her nephew Bill Wagner to say, “I just wanted to prove I could do it but I won’t be driving anymore. I will sell the Olds.”

On her 100^th birthday she enjoyed a party in her honor at her apartment in Liberty Village in Peru.

The Wagner legacy

Following her death in July, 2003, Marie’s will revealed she’d left $100,000 to set up a business scholarship for Illinois Valley Community College students planning to major in marketing or a closely related field such as accounting, business law, economics, finance or management.