Verlie was born December 18, 1941, to Learl E. and Bertha (Sorgenfrei) Sutphen of Oshkosh. She was raised on a farm located on Blue Creek north of Oshkosh and attended schools in the area, graduating from Garden County High School in 1959.

She met her future husband, Thomas Wagoner, at a Grange dance where his grandparents played music, and they married on December 16, 1961, in Broadwater, where they resided until 1974 when they moved to Gering, NE. She worked as bookkeeper for the Scotts Bluff County Court until her retirement in 1996.

Verlie was active in various groups, including the After 5 Christian Women’s group in Scottsbluff, Joy of Living Bible studies in Scottsbluff and Gering,Toastmasters, and AARP Grief Counseling.

She loved music, fondly remembering Saturday nights as a child riding in the car and listening to the Grand Ole Opry. She is survived by her sister, Nina (Larry) Magnuson of Cheyenne; children Erick (Lora) Wagoner of Scottsbluff, Lynne Wagoner of Mitchell, and Michael (Heidi) Wagoner of Mitchell; 4 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren, and too many nieces and nephews to count.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Thomas; brother Warren Sutphen; and sister Alice (George) Cooper of Columbus, Kansas.