Obituary of Margaret Louise Fegel Wagner

Margaret Louise Fegel Wagner, longtime resident of Perth, NY passed away Sunday June 5th 2005 at the Fulton County Residential Healthcare Facility in Gloversville, NY where she had been a resident since 2003. Louise was born in Perth, NY, in 1914, the only daughter of Charles and Villa Fegel and assumed the role of mother to her three brothers upon the premature death of her mother. In spite of fulfilling the duties connected with running a household for her father and three brothers, Louise was still able to graduate from Amsterdam High School at the age of 15 even though she often had to walk from Perth to Amsterdam to attend classes. After high school Louise attended teaching preparation classes in Broadalbin and went on to receive her teacher certification from Oneonta Normal School and her bachelor?s degree from the State University at Albany. Louise?s teaching career was extensive and rewarding and most certainly inspirational to the many students she encountered in her 38-year career beginning in a one-room schoolhouse in Bleeker and concluding with her retirement in 1971 from Perth Central. Louise?s involvement with youth did not conclude in 1971, however, as she went on to become the adopted grandmother to Nelva Teabout?s kindergarten classes in Perth, reading to Nelva?s students once each month for over nine years. Louise and her husband Robert also hosted fresh air children from New York City for many years and always remained in contact with them. A pioneer in other areas as well, Louise was the first woman to ever serve on the church council of St. Luke?s Lutheran Church in Amsterdam and also enjoyed another first, that of the first president of the Perth Senior Center. Volunteering became a way of life for Louise especially in regard to the thousands of hours spent with the residents of the Wilkinson Center at Memorial Hospital in Amsterdam. There she shared her love of literature with those at Wilkinson by reading stories, books, and the newspaper to them. Survivors include her husband of 64 years, Robert E. Wagner, and their daughters, Virginia Mee of Amsterdam and Roberta Marotta and her husband Robert of Fort Johnson. Louise is also survived by three loving grandchildren, Emily Marotta Tesiero and Christopher Marotta of Ft. Johnson, and Serena K. Mee of Albany as well as one great granddaughter, Sofia Tesiero of Ft. Johnson. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at the Betz, Rossi & Bellinger Family Funeral Home, 171 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam. Burial will take place in the Perth Cemetery. Calling hours will be from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. prior to the service on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Louise?s memory to the Activities Fund at the Fulton County Residential Health Care Facility, 847 Co. Hwy 122, Gloversville, NY 12078.