Michael Max Wagner

Michael Max Wagner, age 64, of Brandon, Minnesota passed away unexpectedly at his home in August 2024. Mike was a loyal son, brother, nephew, cousin, uncle, great-uncle and friend. Mike was born on March 19, 1960 in Alexandria, Minnesota, the son of Joseph Jr. and Marian (Hertwig) Wagner. He graduated from Brandon High School. Mike was a baptized and confirmed member of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church in Millerville. Mike spent his life on the family farm just outside of Brandon, from baling hay and doing chores as a child to farming with his father as an adult. For many years, Mike was a dairy farmer in tandem with his father and more recently solely farmed crops. Mike served his community on the board at the Millerville Co-Op Creamery and was a familiar face at the elevators and machine shops around the area. 

Mike was a boisterous story teller with a contagious laugh. He enjoyed attending family gatherings, keeping up on current events and having a good conversation. In his younger days, Mike burned up the lanes in bowling league. He also enjoyed fishing and was known to catch some whoppers down at Baumbach; whether the fish or the stories were bigger, we may never know. Mike was proud of his 1975 Dodge Charger; he loved to keep it in tip-top shape and occasionally showed it off in car shows. He spent a lot of time with his good buddy Warren; the two were known to be out “checking crops” in the Charger and even had matching Honda 750s to cruise with. Mike was always happy to lend his perspective or a helping hand, most recently with his skid steer, whether moving dirt or grinding trees. 

Mike looked at the sunny side of life. He was a mild-mannered guy with a great sense of humor. Mike made us all better for being around him, allowing us to celebrate the life he lived and to ease some of our grief with his passing. Mike was preceded in death by his loving mother Marian and father Joseph Jr.; may he rest easy as he rejoins them. Mike is survived by his brothers, Ron Wagner and Wayne Wagner (and their families), his uncles and aunts Orville and Bernice Hertwig, Vergene and Jerry Lippka, Madeline Hertwig, Margaret Barbeln, his cousins and his friends. 

Mike’s family would like to thank Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon Fire Department and Anderson Funeral Home.