Helen Margaret Elizabeth (Bricker) Bagley

Helen Margaret Elizabeth (Bricker) Bagley, 101, of Van Wert, died Saturday, January 24, 2015, at the Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center.

She was born March 13, 1913, in Payne, the daughter of Daniel A. and Emma B. (Marquardt) Bricker, who both preceded her in death. The family moved to Convoy when she was 4 years old. The day of her birth was the first day for parcel post deliveries and her birth announcement in the newspaper announced “delivery by parcel post on Thursday afternoon”. Her father was a mail carrier, and Helen would ride with her father on his horse-drawn mail wagon.

She attended Convoy High School and graduated in 1931. In high school, she played basketball and was running center for the Convoy Indians. On September 8, 1931, she married Floyd E. Bagley, who preceded her in death on November 3, 1979.

Mrs. Bagley was a homemaker. She was a member of Calvary Evangelical Church in Van Wert, where she was a member of the Martha Circle and the Gleaners Sunday school class. Baking cakes was one of her favorite hobbies, and she thrilled her grandchildren with special themed birthday cakes for many years, while also baking wedding cakes for friends and family from 1961 to 1988.

Survivors include two sons, James D. (Sara) Bagley of Sarasota, Florida, and Ronald R. (Linda) Bagley of Van Wert; three daughters, J. Coleen (Ray) Etzler and Diane (Larry) Webb, both of Van Wert, and Janell (Paul Leslie) Boroff of Sun City Center, Florida; a daughter-in-law, Joanne Bagley of Van Wert; 18 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and 14 great-great-grandchildren, as well as a sister, Ruth Wambsganss of Convoy; and two sisters-in-law, Esther (Bauer) Bricker of Kansas City, Missouri, and Arlene (Rager, Bricker, Rogers) Weigness of Convoy.

A son, F. Eugene Bagley; seven brothers, Arthur (Ruth) Bricker, Bernard (Cleo) Bricker, Otis (Francis) Bricker, Devon Bricker, Walter Bricker, Herman (Ruth) Bricker and Paul Bricker; three sisters, Melva Bricker, Alvia Bricker and Anna (Tom) Pillars; one brother-in-law, Clayton Wambsganss; and a great-granddaughter, Madison Nicole Roth, also preceded her in death.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 31, at Calvary Evangelical Church in Van Wert, with Pastor Clark Williman officiating. Burial will follow in Woodland Cemetery in Van Wert.

Calling hours are from 2-8 p.m. Friday, January 30, at Cowan & Son Funeral Home in Van Wert, and an hour prior to services Saturday at the church.

Preferred memorials: Calvary Evangelical Church in Van Wert, the Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center or The Lutheran Hour of Convoy Redeemer Lutheran Church.