A Life Rooted in Provo and Purpose
Frank Van Wagenen was born on December 24, 1911, in Provo, Utah, and his life unfolded like a long, carefully kept ledger of service, family duty, and steady work. I see him as a man whose story was never meant to be flashy. It was built instead from durable things: faith, marriage, children, labor, and the kind of personal discipline that holds a family together through war, business, grief, and time.
He came of age in a Utah family with deep local roots. His parents were Alma Van Wagenen and Birdie Gray, and he grew up inside a household that would leave a wide branch pattern across later generations. Frank lived to age 84, passing away on April 10, 1996, in the same city where he was born. That circular shape, born and buried in Provo, gives his life a certain symmetry, like a well turned page in a family record.
The Van Wagenen Family Circle
Frank’s parents, Alma Van Wagenen and Birdie Gray, stand at the center of his early family story. Their home produced several children, and Frank was part of a large sibling network that included Ethel Loree Van Wagenen, Harold Earl Van Wagenen, Clifton Gray Van Wagenen, Dean Eugene Van Wagenen, Irene Van Wagenen Freestone, and Stanley Alma Van Wagenen, who died young. This was not a small family tucked neatly into the margins. It was a broad, branching tree, the kind that spreads shade for generations.
Frank’s brother Harold appears in the family story as a partner in later business and broadcasting activity. That detail matters because it suggests Frank did not move through life alone. He moved with brothers, with family ties, with shared effort. In many families, the true inheritance is not money but momentum. In the Van Wagenen family, that feels true.
Frank married Phyllis Barker on September 15, 1937, in the Salt Lake Temple. Their marriage lasted nearly 59 years, and that span says a great deal on its own. It means there were decades of ordinary mornings, hard decisions, child raising, and quiet adjustments. Phyllis was not merely a spouse in the background. She was a force of her own. She was known for her athletic energy, civic involvement, devotion to education, and support for the Provo Library. She became the family anchor while Frank served abroad during the war. I think of the two of them as a pair of matched beams, each carrying a different load.
They had seven children: Lola Jean, Richard, Gary, Betty, Wayne, Lita, and Bruce. Bruce died in infancy, which is a sorrow that never really leaves a family, even if it is not spoken loudly. The surviving children formed a second generation that would carry the family outward into wider public life. Among them, Lola Van Wagenen became especially prominent because of her later connection to Robert Redford and the line of grandchildren and great-grandchildren that followed.
Work, Service, and the Shape of His Career
Frank had a notable career despite a short resume. He worked with his father in business and broadcasting, according to public documents. An investing business and the family’s position in Utah radio are mentioned. The family helped launch KCSU in the mid-1940s. Entrepreneurship was not abstract in Frank’s world. Practical, local, and hands-on.
Military duty adds another powerful line to his image. Frank volunteered for WWII and became a Navy Lieutenant J.G. He was in the South Pacific while Phyllis raised the kids. Such separation alters a family. It tries patience, rearranges duties, and makes the home front its own front line. Frank served without drama. It was stable, which important.
His later work is particularly artistic. Frank wrote Humanity and Art & The Mission of Art Calligraphy in 1985. The man has texture from that detail. His passion for craft and expression reveals he was more than a businessman or soldier. Calligraphy involves rhythm, control, and patience. Each stroke is a modest intention. That suits Frank. His existence resembles deliberate strokes.
Lola Van Wagenen and the Redford Line
Frank’s daughter Lola Jean Van Wagenen is one of the most important bridges between his private family life and broader public recognition. Through her marriage to Robert Redford, Frank became the grandfather of a new, widely known generation. Their children were Scott Anthony Redford, Shauna Redford, James Redford, and Amy Redford.
Scott Anthony was born in 1959 and died in infancy, a heartbreaking loss that leaves only a small mark in public records but a large one in family memory. Shauna Redford was born in 1960. James Redford, born in 1962, later became a well known filmmaker and activist. Amy Redford, born in 1970, also built her own creative path.
Through those children, Frank became the grandfather of descendants whose names continue to surface in public life. Shauna’s children include Mica Schlosser and Conor Schlosser. James’s children include Dylan Redford and Lena Redford. Amy is the mother of Eden August. The family line stretches outward like a river delta, spreading in several directions while still carrying the same source water.
Recent Visibility and the Family Legacy
Although Frank Van Wagenen led a private life, his name appears due of his family line. Recent Redford family coverage traces relatives down to Lola and Frank. His narrative has an afterlife. Not loud, but persistent. Like flames in ash, family names survive. They might not burn, but they remain.
Frank’s public legacy is more cumulative than a single feat. A nearly 60-year marriage. Seven kids. Wartime duty. Business. Audiovisual participation. Calligraphy later in life. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren keep the line going. A existence that resists simplicity. He was multifaceted. He was made of many small, sturdy bits.
Family Members at a Glance
| Family Member | Relationship to Frank Van Wagenen | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alma Van Wagenen | Father | Part of the Provo Van Wagenen family line |
| Birdie Gray | Mother | Central figure in Frank’s early family |
| Phyllis Barker Van Wagenen | Wife | Married in 1937, long marriage, civic and family leader |
| Lola Jean Van Wagenen | Daughter | Mother of the Redford children |
| Richard Van Wagenen | Son | Associated with the family radio story |
| Gary Van Wagenen | Son | One of seven children |
| Betty Van Wagenen | Daughter | One of seven children |
| Wayne Van Wagenen | Son | One of seven children |
| Lita Van Wagenen | Daughter | One of seven children |
| Bruce Van Wagenen | Son | Died in infancy |
| Scott Anthony Redford | Grandson | Son of Lola, died in infancy |
| Shauna Redford | Granddaughter | Mother of Mica and Conor Schlosser |
| James Redford | Grandson | Father of Dylan and Lena Redford |
| Amy Redford | Granddaughter | Mother of Eden August |
| Mica Schlosser | Great grandchild | Child of Shauna Redford |
| Conor Schlosser | Great grandchild | Child of Shauna Redford |
| Dylan Redford | Great grandchild | Child of James Redford |
| Lena Redford | Great grandchild | Child of James Redford |
| Eden August | Great grandchild | Child of Amy Redford |
FAQ
Who was Frank Van Wagenen?
Frank Van Wagenen was a Provo born Utah man born on December 24, 1911, and died on April 10, 1996. He was a family man, veteran, businessman, and calligraphy artist whose life connected local Utah history with the later public legacy of the Redford family.
Who were Frank Van Wagenen’s parents?
His parents were Alma Van Wagenen and Birdie Gray. They placed him in a large family with several siblings and a strong Utah-rooted lineage.
Who was Frank Van Wagenen’s wife?
His wife was Phyllis Barker Van Wagenen. They married on September 15, 1937, and remained married for nearly 59 years.
How many children did Frank Van Wagenen have?
He had seven children: Lola Jean, Richard, Gary, Betty, Wayne, Lita, and Bruce. Bruce died in infancy.
Why is Frank Van Wagenen still discussed today?
He is still discussed because his daughter Lola became part of the Redford family, and his descendants remain visible in public life. His name also survives through family history, broadcasting history, and artistic records.
