Robert Harlon Wagstaff

1920 - 2008  (88 years)

• Name	Robert Harlon Wagstaff  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Birth	9 Oct 1920	Shelby County, Texas   [3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	23 Dec 2008	Newton, Newton County, Texas   [3]
  Burial	Oaklawn Memorial Park, Center, Shelby County, Texas
  Notes	The Sabine County Reporter January 1, 2009, Page 8 Robert Harlon Wagstaff Funeral services for Robert Harlon Wagstaff, 88, of Bronson, were held at 11:00 a.m. , Saturday, December 27, 2008, in the Starr Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Gene Samford officiating. Burial followed at Oaklawn Cemetery in Center. He died December 23, 2008, in Newton. He was born October 9, 1920, in Shelby County to Richard and Pearl Permenter Wagstaff, the seventh of nine children. He had been a resident of Sabine County for forty-one years. He volunteered for the Army Air Corp. He trained in Las Vegas at AAF Gunnery School (Spec Sperry Turrets). He was assigned as a tail gunner on a B26 Martin Maruder and flew 56 missions over Europe from bases in England, France and Belgium. He attained the rank of Staff Sgt. and was discharged on July 7, 1945. He worked 39 years as a teacher, coach and administrator in the public schools of Texas. He was employed by Brazosport ISD in Freeport for 11 years, Lufkin ISD for 10 years, and West Sabine ISD for 18 years. During his tenure at Brazosport he earned his Masters Degree from the University of Houston. He retired as superintendent at West Sabine ISD in 1985. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bettye Bragg Wagstaff of Bronson, daughter Lou Ann Wagstaff of Whitehouse, a granddaughter Cory and her husband Rob Blackmon, great grandchildren Caylor Brynn Blackmon, Brock Wagstaff Blackmon, and Tyler Robert Blackmon all of Brownsboro, a sister Neta Hanna of Jacksonville, brothers-in-law Winfred Wright of Port Neches and Hollis McMullen of Quitman, and many nieces and nephews. Contributions to the Jon Robert Wagstaff Memorial Scholarship Fund, Rt. 3, Box 3037, Bronson, TX 75930 will be greatly appreciated by the family. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, January 2009) A nearly identical obituary appeared in the December 31, 2008 Sabine County Reporter. Book Three A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF SABINE COUNTY, TEXAS by Robert Cecil McDaniel (Texian Press: Waco, Texas, 1998) states that Robert H. Wagstaff, US Army Air Corps, Staff Sergeant, armorer, gunner, July 1942 to July 1945, served in the European Theater, flew 56 combat missions from Great Saling, England, Tille Air Force Base, France, and Leculot Field, Belgium, awarded the Air Medal with ten Oak Leaf Clusters, and two Presidential Unit Citations.
  Person ID	I2140	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Richard S. Wagstaff,   b. Abt 1880, Texas d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Lulu Pearl Permenter,   b. Abt 1884, Texas d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	Abt 1907
  Family ID	F1393	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bettye Frances Bragg,   b. 10 Oct 1928, Sabinetown, Sabine County, Texas d. 26 Aug 2012, Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas (Age 83 years)
  Marriage	23 Aug 1946  [7]
  	They are the parents of LouAnn and Jon Robert.
  Children	1. Living   2. Jon Robert Wagstaff,   b. 31 Jan 1964, Angelina County, Texas d. 28 Aug 1983, Smith County, Texas (Age 19 years)
  Family ID	F1394	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Nov 2012

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 9 Oct 1920 - Shelby County, Texas Death - 23 Dec 2008 - Newton, Newton County, Texas Burial - - Oaklawn Memorial Park, Center, Shelby County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Wagstaff, Robert Harlon "Bob", Overseas with the Army Air Corp, 1943 1920-2008, Texas Bob volunteered for the Army Air Corp. He trained in Las Vegas at AAF Gunnery School (Spec Sperry Turrets). He was assigned as a tail gunner on a B26 Martin Maruder and flew 56 missions over Europe from bases in England, France and Belgium. He attained the rank of Staff Sgt. and was discharged on July 7, 1945. He worked 39 years as a teacher, coach and administrator in the public schools of Texas. During his tenure at Brazosport he earned his Masters Degree from the University of Houston. He retired as superintendent at West Sabine ISD in 1985.

  
  

• Sources

  [S461] White & Toole, "Sabine County Historical Sketches and Genealogical Records" c. 1972. [S632] Descendants of William Mercer http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mbonsal/mercer/william.html. [S342] San Augustine Tribune, weekly, 807 E. Columbia, San Augustine, TX, (San Augustine Tribune, USPS No. 479-040, Published every Thursday at 807 E. Columbia St., San Augustine, Texas 75972 Stephen Hays & Arlan Hays, Publishers. Postmaster: Change of Address notice should be made at P.O. Box 539, San Augustine, Texas 75972. The Tribune is a continuation of the Texas Chronicle moved from Galveston to San Augustine in 1837 and published as the Redlander.), January 1, 2009, Page 8 (Reliability: 3). [S336] The Sabine County Reporter, P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas (Published Weekly), (Founded in 1883, The Sabine County Reporter (USPS 474-660) is published once a week on Wednesday. The Reporter is Published by Sabine County Reporter, Inc. Postmaster: Send change of address to P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas 75948-0700. The Sabine County Reporter and The Rambler merged March 1, 1988. Member National Newspaper Association and Texas Press Association.), November 26, 1997, Page 12, obituary for Foy Wagstaff (Reliability: 3). [S336] The Sabine County Reporter, P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas (Published Weekly), (Founded in 1883, The Sabine County Reporter (USPS 474-660) is published once a week on Wednesday. The Reporter is Published by Sabine County Reporter, Inc. Postmaster: Send change of address to P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas 75948-0700. The Sabine County Reporter and The Rambler merged March 1, 1988. Member National Newspaper Association and Texas Press Association.), 9 Feb 2000, obituary of Floyd Wagstaff (Reliability: 3). [S336] The Sabine County Reporter, P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas (Published Weekly), (Founded in 1883, The Sabine County Reporter (USPS 474-660) is published once a week on Wednesday. The Reporter is Published by Sabine County Reporter, Inc. Postmaster: Send change of address to P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas 75948-0700. The Sabine County Reporter and The Rambler merged March 1, 1988. Member National Newspaper Association and Texas Press Association.), 20 June 2001, obituary of Travis Wagstaff (Reliability: 3). [S336] The Sabine County Reporter, P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas (Published Weekly), (Founded in 1883, The Sabine County Reporter (USPS 474-660) is published once a week on Wednesday. The Reporter is Published by Sabine County Reporter, Inc. Postmaster: Send change of address to P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas 75948-0700. The Sabine County Reporter and The Rambler merged March 1, 1988. Member National Newspaper Association and Texas Press Association.), August 29, 2012, page 14. (Reliability: 3).