Barbara Wagner, age 78, of West Allis, WI, (formerly of Lake Delton, WI) died after a courageous struggle against metastatic cancer on Monday, January 8, 2024. Her enthusiasm for life, energy and vitality will be greatly missed by all who love her. She touched many lives with her concern for others, her willingness to volunteer in various church and community groups and her strong and enduring faith in Jesus Christ, her Savior and Lord.

Barbara's funeral will be held on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at Trinity Lutheran Church on 68th and Arthur in West Allis, WI. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. Divine Service with Holy Communion will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. with Pastor Hasselbrook officiating. A spaghetti dinner will be served following the service in the church basement, catered by "That's Amore" restaurant. Attendees may donate desserts, salads or jello if desired. An additional visitation will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Picha Funeral Home on Adams Street in Lake Delton, WI. A prayer service will follow the visitation, beginning at 4:00 p.m. with Pastor Gehrke officiating. Although private burial will take place at the Lyndon Station Village Cemetery, due to predicted dangerously cold temperatures, the committal service will be held at Picha Funeral home immediately following the prayer service.

Barbara was born January 14, 1945, the daughter of Arthur and Irene (Sturm) Kesler in Chicago, Illinois. The family moved to Lake Delton, WI a few years later and operated a boat rental business on Lake Delton for many years. Barbara attended the Lake Delton Grade School and graduated from Wisconsin Dells High School in 1963. She married David Wagner in 1967. During her life she worked for the Bank of Wisconsin Dells, Badger Munitions and Baraboo Equipment, but she spent most of her working life employed by Holiday Wholesale in Wisconsin Dells. She formed many deep and lasting friendships during her time there. Barbara enjoyed many hobbies, which included gardening, embroidery and sewing. Her green thumb was evident in the many flowering plants around her home in Lake Delton and she enjoyed gardening with her daughters after she moved to West Allis. Her greatest accomplishments as a seamstress were her many beautiful and intricate quilts. She was highly skilled at embroidery. She made many quilts for friends and family and for donation with a quilting group at

Trinity Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Many years after retiring from Holiday Wholesale she enjoyed seasonal work as a professional pyro technician for J&M Displays. She trained as a pyro technician under the direction of her son in law, Jeff Young and worked side by side on many crews with Jeff and her daughter Ruth. She especially enjoyed working various fireworks shows for summer festivals at the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee and Family Day Weekend shows at Camp Luwisomo in Wild Rose. Barbara had an adventurous spirit and was always up for anything. Her special skill as a pyro technician who could actually drive a boat made her an invaluable member of the team at the Wind Lake Fireworks show.

Barb is survived by her daughters, Ruth Young (Jeffery) and Jennifer Wagner, her sisters June Miller (Ray) and Dianne Tebbe (Keith), brother-in-law Ralph Kleeber, many nieces and nephews, other relatives and many many friends, as she easily made friends wherever she went. She is preceded in death by her parents, her son-in-law Danny (Ruth) and her husband, David.