Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
NameJohn Bryan WAGONER 
470, John Bryan Wagoner,3, Paul M. Wagoner
470, John Bryan Wagoner,3, Paul M. WagonerBirthJun 7, 1923, Guilford County, North Carolina470, John Bryan Wagoner
DeathFeb 7, 2017, Gibsonville, Guilford County, North Carolina470, John Bryan Wagoner
BurialFriedens Lutheran Church, 6001 NC Highway 61 North, Gibsonville, North Carolina 27249470, John Bryan Wagoner
FatherJew Irvin WAGONER (1896-1973)
MotherEunice Kent HOMEWOOD (1898-1985)
Spouses
Birth1931470, Helen Barnett Wagoner
Death2012470, Helen Barnett Wagoner
BurialFriedens Lutheran Church, 6001 NC Highway 61 North, Gibsonville, North Carolina 27249470, Helen Barnett Wagoner
Obituary Online notes for John Bryan WAGONER
John Bryan Wagoner was born in Guilford County on June 7, 1923 to the late Jew Irving Wagoner and Eunice Homewood Wagoner. He was married to the late Helen Barnett Wagoner who died in 2012.
John grew up on a farm to a father who served in World War I and a mother who was proud to be one of the few women to go to college during her era. He took over Wagwood Farms, combined from his father’s last name "Wagoner" and mother’s maiden name, "Homewood."
John, along with his twin brother Fred, followed their dad to NC State College. He enrolled in ROTC which paid for his college education. During his sophomore year at NC State, the US was dragged into WWII. He, his brother, and all of his male classmates were immediately drafted.
During World War II, John was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, which at the time was home to the advanced infantry training school and officer candidate school. He was promoted to captain and trained many of the enlisted recruits and officers that would later find themselves on the front lines of battle on foreign soil.
After the war, he volunteered to go to Europe as the officer in charge of a Graves Registration Unit. The Germans usually buried the airmen next to their crashed plane. The Unit’s job was to locate the crashed planes and recover the bodies so they could be reburied in an American military cemetery.
After the war John returned to NC State to complete his college education. During the war, John had played football for the Army, so he naturally returned to play on the NC State football team. He was proud to be a starting guard on the team in the 1946 Gator Bowl football game.
John graduated with honors. He was the president of the Class of 1947 and president of Golden Chain. He was a member of the Blue Key, Alpha and Alpha Zeta, Upsilon Sigma Alpha and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternities.
John was a seven year veteran of the Canadian Football Program. He played for the Ottawa Roughriders and the British Columbia Lions from 1948-1954. He won the Grey Cup with Ottawa in 1951. He was on the All Canadian Team in 1948 and 1949. While playing for the Roughriders, he met his soul mate, Helen Barnett, whom he married in 1954.
John returned to Gibsonville to resume farming on Wagwood Farms. He later converted Wagwood Farms to Wagoner Christmas Trees. He founded Wagoner Christmas Trees in Sparta, NC. He was one of the founders of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, and served as Director and Secretary-Treasurer for 30 years.
He provided Christmas trees to wholesale customers from New Orleans to New York. He was proud to sell Christmas trees and trimmings to customers in Greensboro and Burlington for more than 40 years. His two sons have taken on his role of supplying Christmas trees in the Greensboro area.
John was a lifelong member of Friedens Lutheran Church. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend who will be missed dearly.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jew Irving Wagoner and Eunice Homewood Wagoner; his wife Eunice Homewood Wagoner; his twin brother, Fred Homewood Wagoner, and sister, Margaret Ellen Wagoner Morgan.
A funeral service was conducted by Pastor Bill Zima on Saturday, February 11, 2017, at Friedens Lutheran Church. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Family links:
Parents:
Jew Irvin Wagoner (1896 - 1973)
Eunice Homewood Wagoner (1898 - 1985)
Spouse:
Helen Barnett Wagoner (1931 - 2012)
Siblings:
Margaret Ellen Wagoner Morgan (1922 - 1974)**
John Bryan Wagoner (1923 - 2017)
Fred Homewood Wagoner (1923 - 2011)**
470, John Bryan Wagoner
John grew up on a farm to a father who served in World War I and a mother who was proud to be one of the few women to go to college during her era. He took over Wagwood Farms, combined from his father’s last name "Wagoner" and mother’s maiden name, "Homewood."
John, along with his twin brother Fred, followed their dad to NC State College. He enrolled in ROTC which paid for his college education. During his sophomore year at NC State, the US was dragged into WWII. He, his brother, and all of his male classmates were immediately drafted.
During World War II, John was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, which at the time was home to the advanced infantry training school and officer candidate school. He was promoted to captain and trained many of the enlisted recruits and officers that would later find themselves on the front lines of battle on foreign soil.
After the war, he volunteered to go to Europe as the officer in charge of a Graves Registration Unit. The Germans usually buried the airmen next to their crashed plane. The Unit’s job was to locate the crashed planes and recover the bodies so they could be reburied in an American military cemetery.
After the war John returned to NC State to complete his college education. During the war, John had played football for the Army, so he naturally returned to play on the NC State football team. He was proud to be a starting guard on the team in the 1946 Gator Bowl football game.
John graduated with honors. He was the president of the Class of 1947 and president of Golden Chain. He was a member of the Blue Key, Alpha and Alpha Zeta, Upsilon Sigma Alpha and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternities.
John was a seven year veteran of the Canadian Football Program. He played for the Ottawa Roughriders and the British Columbia Lions from 1948-1954. He won the Grey Cup with Ottawa in 1951. He was on the All Canadian Team in 1948 and 1949. While playing for the Roughriders, he met his soul mate, Helen Barnett, whom he married in 1954.
John returned to Gibsonville to resume farming on Wagwood Farms. He later converted Wagwood Farms to Wagoner Christmas Trees. He founded Wagoner Christmas Trees in Sparta, NC. He was one of the founders of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, and served as Director and Secretary-Treasurer for 30 years.
He provided Christmas trees to wholesale customers from New Orleans to New York. He was proud to sell Christmas trees and trimmings to customers in Greensboro and Burlington for more than 40 years. His two sons have taken on his role of supplying Christmas trees in the Greensboro area.
John was a lifelong member of Friedens Lutheran Church. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend who will be missed dearly.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jew Irving Wagoner and Eunice Homewood Wagoner; his wife Eunice Homewood Wagoner; his twin brother, Fred Homewood Wagoner, and sister, Margaret Ellen Wagoner Morgan.
A funeral service was conducted by Pastor Bill Zima on Saturday, February 11, 2017, at Friedens Lutheran Church. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Family links:
Parents:
Jew Irvin Wagoner (1896 - 1973)
Eunice Homewood Wagoner (1898 - 1985)
Spouse:
Helen Barnett Wagoner (1931 - 2012)
Siblings:
Margaret Ellen Wagoner Morgan (1922 - 1974)**
John Bryan Wagoner (1923 - 2017)
Fred Homewood Wagoner (1923 - 2011)**
470, John Bryan Wagoner