James Allen "Sonny" Wagerman, 74, of Gettysburg and formerly of Emmitsburg, died Friday, August 14, 2009 at the home of his son and daughter-in-law after a courageous battle with cancer. He was the longtime companion of Phyllis (Potter) Sweeney, who died August 8, 1987.

Born August 9, 1935 in Taneytown, he was a son of the late George S. and Alice E. (Ohler) Wagerman.

Mr. Wagerman was a veteran of the United States Army. He was employed in his earlier years as a truck driver and, most recently, as a carpenter at Mt. St. Mary's University, retiring in 1998.

He was a life member of the VFW Post 6658, Emmitsburg, and AMVETS Post 0007, Thurmont. In his free time, Mr. Wagerman enjoyed fishing and telling jokes.

Survivors include his son, Ronald Sweeney and his wife Mary of Gettysburg; his daughter, Judith Kuhn and her husband Leonard of York Springs; two brothers, Kenneth Wagerman and his wife Ruth of Taneytown, and George Wagerman and his wife Mary of Winchester, VA; three sisters, Helen Jo Strayer and her husband Ray of Fairfield, Ann Moser of Gettysburg, and Patricia Groft and her husband George of Gettysburg; three granddaughters and one grandson, Shiloh Turner and her husband James of Barlow, Ronald Sweeney II of Gettysburg, Jennifer Ostriche and her husband Croydon of York Springs, and Shannon Kuhn of Carlisle; and four great-granddaughters, Morgan Turner, Kayla Ostriche, Emalee Ostriche, and Danielle Kuhn.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Richard Wagerman and Jack Wagerman; and three sisters, Freda Eversole, Betty Garman, and Virginia Krietz.

The funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, August 20, 2009 at the Peters Funeral Home, 321 Carlisle St., Gettsyburg, with Rev. Jay E. Zimmerman officiating. The family will receive friends beginning 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens.

For those desiring, contributions may be made in Mr. Wagerman's memory to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 3535, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

Sonny was loved by everyone he knew and will be missed by so many. He was always in such good spirits even through all of the treatments, always telling his jokes and making everyone that was around him laugh.

To share memories of Sonny, please click on "Sign Guest Book" above.

A video tribute celebrating Sonny's life can be viewed by clicking the link below, then click the photo to play the tribute video. (Special Note: If you have firewall protection installed on your computer, it must be disabled in order to play the tribute.  Macintosh systems need Windows to use the tribute viewer).

James "Sonny" Allen Wagerman memorial video