Friends & Neighbors

Iliana Z. Gamez/The Daily Dispatch Talented, inspiring, and motivated. Mary Wagner Nosek has dedicated most of her life to dance and theatre, now through her knowledge, experience, and love of the arts she is bringing talent to the younger generations of Douglas. Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1941, to talented musicians Nosek's first childhood memories began in Warrenville, ILL. However, Nosek's most heart warming memories come from the country lifestyle they lived in their 1837 farm house where they had ponies, chickens and raised crops. Her parents wanted Nosek and her two brothers to be raised in the country; there they lived a Tom Sawyer lifestyle. Nosek recalls getting up early to weed along other farm duties; she'd also swim in river hole, craw fish and go river rafting with her brothers. Nosek said, "We had the best time as kids, we were very patriotic, involved in the community and church, and were installed a love for the arts at an early age."