Mary E. Wagner

About Us

Mary E. Wagner ''Betsy'' and husband John have deep roots in Colorado County, going back to the late 1800's. They both graduated from Columbus High School in 1968. Betsy made her career in school systems in Germany, Hawaii, Louisiana and retired from Texas public education in 2008. Most recently they invested locally. They currently provide several rental properties in Columbus.

Betsy became deeply interested in family history after a discussion with her cousin at a family reunion. She conducted research for several years and has completed a work of historical fiction based on the life of her great, great, great grandmother. The story follows the entire life of Sydnie Gaston, who came to Mexican Gonzales in 1831. She was unwittingly swept up in the events that led to The Republic of Texas. The communities of Gonzales, San Antonio, Columbus, San Felipe, Mina (Bastrop) and others are settings for scenes in the story. The book ''Spirit of Gonzales'' is expected to be available in the spring of 2019.

The couple moved to San Antonio in August of 2017. They return to Columbus frequently to conduct business and visit with family. Although the entire world is available through Cyberspace, and in spite of time spent away, John and Betsy feel that Columbus will always be home.