Accession 2016-32 - Fred and Jeanie Wagner

Jeanie Wagner (nee Shaw) was born in Kingussie, Scotland in March, 1922. She moved to Regina at the age of two. She returned to Scotland with her mother and sister for one year when she was eight, and enjoyed many visits there in later years, including years of sabbatical studies spent in England and Scotland.

Jeanie attended Scott Collegiate in Regina, Luther College (for first year university studies) and the University of Saskatchewan where she attained a Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching diploma in 1942. She taught high school English in Grenfell and at Central Collegiate prior to her marriage in 1947 to Fred Wagner. After that time, she did some part time teaching and music coaching at Luther College prior to raising her family.

As a young adult, Jeanie was an accomplished singer. In 1951 she completed an ARCT diploma (Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto) in vocal performance and pedagogy, for which she received the highest mark in Western Canada that year.

Jeanie completed a Master of Arts degree in 1966. She joined the English Department, initially on a part-time basis, and taught there for over 25 years. Her research interests were varied, beginning with D.H. Lawrence on whose work she did her Masters Thesis and subsequently several published articles. Other research interests included American writers, Mark Twain and William Faulkner in particular, and Canadian poet A.M. Klein. In her last years of teaching, and springing from her own heritage, Jeanie dedicated much effort to exploring the works of, and building a collection of novels and poetry by early and mid-20th Century Scottish writers, as well as associated literary analysis and criticism. The period came to be known as the Scottish Renaissance.

Jeanie Wagner took a keen interest in her natural surroundings, and in their preservation. She edited numerous articles for the Blue Jay magazine and similar publications in Saskatchewan and Canada, particularly in her retirement. As an analytical reader and editor, she also assisted friends with their own literary efforts. Most notable among these were Saros Cowasjee's short story collection Strange Meeting and other stories and R.B. Fleming's 2010 biography of Peter Gzowski.

Jeanie Wagner died on July 5, 2016 at the age of 94.

Fred Wagner was born in Tyvan (near Francis), Saskatchewan in October, 1908 and raised on a farm, the eldest of four children. He attended Luther Academy in Melville and then Luther College in Regina. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and later a Master of Arts degree in English literature from the University of Minnesota.

In 1933, after a brief period of teaching in Minnesota, he began a thirty-two year teaching career at Luther College in Regina, where he taught high school and first year university English and directed numerous drama productions. In 1965, he joined the English Department at the University of Regina. He particularly loved teaching Chaucer but his interests and knowledge were broad, and his later scholarly efforts were dedicated to a group of English Quaker novelists of the mid to late 19th Century. During his time at the university he served on the Library Committee, both as a member and as chair.

Fred Wagner always took an active interest in theatre, studying theatre arts at the Banff School as a young man, mounting many high school drama productions some of which were entered in the Dominion Drama Festival competitions to fine reviews, and acting in amateur theatre productions locally.

After his retirement in 1976, he dedicated much of his time to researching the Victorian religious novelists. He had started this work during his years with the University of Regina English Department, beginning with publication of an annotated bibliography of one of those novelists, a Quaker -- J.H. Shorthouse, author of John Inglesant. His work culminated in the 1979 Twayne Publishers issue of his book on Shorthouse in its English authors series.

In his retirement, Fred continued some part-time teaching and served on a committee for the preservation of Saskatchewan House.

Throughout his life, Fred Wagner was a creative and accomplished amateur photographer. As well, in his youth, he was known to be a formidable pitcher in the men's baseball league around the farm communities south of Regina.

Fred Wagner was married to Jeanie MacNair Wagner, who also joined the faculty of the University of Regina's English Department.

Fred Wagner died on December 21, 1984 after a lengthy illness. He was 76 years old.

There is a memorial scholarship in his name at Luther College (High School) to recognize the achievements of a student who excels in both English and drama.