Woodford County Illinois - Biography of Michael C. WAGNER

*****************************************************************************
Biography Submitted by Carol Genung.
Copyright © 2008 through the current year. All rights reserved.
Source:  Portrait and Biographical Album of Woodford County, Illinois, 1889

*****************************************************************************


Michael C. Wagner, the popular representative of Worth Township, on the County Board 
of Supervisors, is quite an extensive farmer and stock-raiser of this, his native county.  
He is the proprietor of 360 acres of land, 250 or more of which is tillage and pasture land, 
the remainder being in timber.  He was born in Partridge Township, Dec. 20, 1849, the youngest 
son of Jacob and Mary S. (Stouder) Wagner.  See sketch of Jacob Wagner for parental history. 

Our subject was reared in his native township.  He attended school but little in his 
youthful days, for his father being in limited circumstances, needed his assistance 
on the farm.  He aided his father in clearing land and in tilling the soil until his
 marriage.  He then rented the homestead two years, and after that rented other farms 
in the same township the ensuing seven years, and at the expiration of that time 
rented the farm that he now occupies.  He was a great worker, and was very prosperous 
as a renter, and at the end of three years he purchased the farm, and has resided on 
it ever since, actively engaged in general farming and stock-raising. 

Mr Wagner was joined in marriage to Miss Margaret Sharp, and she made him an excellent 
wife, being of material assistance in bringing about his present prosperous circumstances.  
Her father, George Sharp, was one of the earliest settlers of Tazewell County, and is still 
living on the land which he bought from the Government, and has reclaimed from the wilderness.  
Our subject and his wife are the parents of nine children, namely:  
Christian, Ella, Edward, Annie, Carrie, Charles, Arthur, Ida and Harrison, the latter named in 
honor of President Harrison.  Mr and Mrs Wagner are active Christian people, and members 
repectively of the Methodist Episcopal and the Lutheran churches. Politically, our subject 
affiliates with the Republican party, and the high estimation in which he is held by his 
fellow-citizens is attested by the fact that he had been twice re-elected to the important 
office of Supervisor, in which position he is now serving his third term, in a township whose 
voters are, to a great extent, his political opponents.