Melody Joy Wagner
These five sections will give you a tour into my life in Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin and now the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I call home. My farming and law enforcement experience will allow me to reach out to hard working families born and raised here and to those who have relocated like myself. Living in these four states have made me who I am today. The diversity, knowledge, and experience that I've encountered throughout my life will allow me to better represent everyone in the 'New 109th District' of our four county area of Alger, Baraga, Marquette County and Dickinson County in Norway City and the townships of Breen, Felch, Norway, Waucedah, and West Branch. I've previously worked hard in Luce and Schoolcraft Counties in 2018 and 2020 for the former 109th District in the Upper Peninsula and those two counties are now part of the 'New 108th District'.
I'm a farm girl who was born and raised with my sister on our parent's dairy farm in Gustavus Township, Ohio. We worked like men, alongside our folks, like lots of farm kids do. We were known for diligent work ethic, family values and strong faith. Mom and Dad sacrificed unselfishly to see my sister and I enjoy our youth competing with our horses against the clock to become the best we could be. For seven years in 4-H I repeated the Pledge of Allegiance and 4-H Pledge at the start of every meeting. "I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service and my Health to better living for my club, my community, my country and my world." 4-H was started in Ohio in 1902. Serving as Michigan's largest youth development organization, 4-H offers many programs with over 200,000 members in our state. They help kids learn critical life skills and provide hands on training in various fields of study. As your State Representative, I will apply these same principles making decisions here at home and in Lansing so all our lives in the U.P. of Michigan can be the best they can be. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/michigan_4_h_recognizes_true_leaders_with_4_h_state_awards_1
My first real firearm (do BB guns count?) was a Remington 870 when I was 11 years old. Dad said if we couldn't shoot a 12 gauge shotgun we couldn't go deer hunting and the Wagner girls got the week of deer hunting off as an annual winter vacation at home in Trumbull County, Ohio. I didn't realize a 410 or 20 gauge existed, believing our 870's cleared the brush in the woods. A few years later Dad traded in our four 870 pumps (Mom hunted too) for Remington 1100's. I dreamed of being a police woman when I was young and at 14 Mom took me to a meeting about police work in Warren, Ohio. A burly officer told me to get use to sitting behind the desk because I would never get out from behind it. I proved him wrong becoming a police officer in Florida at age 21 without telling my parents. I passed the same stringent physical, swimming, and timed obstacle course with my male peers and served as a road patrol police officer. This service to the public was the most satisfying time in my life. My family knows and respects our Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms in the United States of America and we do not take that for granted.