On last Friday afternoon the Grim Reaper visited this vicinity and removed from our midstMr. J. E. Wright , one of the oldest settlers in Powell township. Mr. Wright came to Kansas from Missouri in 1885 with his parents and settled on the present location of the Wright farm in the Ridge Summit neighborhood. At that time Comanche county was very thinly settled. Mr. Wright assisted in the building of the Englewood branch of the Santa Fe which was built through this county soon after their arrival. Life in those days was more or less of a struggle but the Wrights and the other settlers in this section learned to laugh at adversity, took chances, adapted themselves to circumstance and showed the qualities of independence, courage, resourcefulness, and endurance that were necessary to succeed in the earlier days.Mr. Wright was a man of high standing in the community, a fine neighbor, and loyal to the institutions with which he was connected. Throughout his entire life, until recently he enjoyed the best of health. Over a year ago he became ill and his ailment was diagnosed as pernicious anemia. This with other complications with which he has been afflicted during the past year, was the cause of his death. Throughout his entire illness he showed a courageous spirit and fought against the dread disease. In this fight he had the assistance of a loving wife who nursed and cared for him in a manner that left nothing to be desired. On Friday his condition seemed so much worse that Dr. Holcomb was summoned. No hopes were held out and early in the afternoon he passed to his reward.
Funeral services were conducted at the Church of Christ on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock by the pastor, Rev. G. M. Martin. A quartet, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. George Brown, Mrs. E. L. Franklin, and Marion Ridge, furnished music, singing some of the favorite songs of the deceased. Pall bearers were C. O. Masterson, George Kennedy, Sam Booth, Earl Ferrin, Ord Trummel, and Cliff Wood. Interment was in the Wilmore cemetery.
OBITUARY James E. Wright was born February 26, 1860, in Sangamon county, Illinois. When about eleven years of age he moved with his parents to Dade county, Missouri, and in 1885, the family moved from Missouri to Kansas to the present family home where he resided until his death. He was united in marriage to Miss Alice Parminter on March 1, 1894. To this union six children were born. Three children died in infancy. One son, John H. Wright of Wilmore, two daughter, Mrs. Blanche Pattullo of Detroit, Mich., and Mrs. Majel Carson of Del Norte, Colo., survive. Mrs. Wright died on April 24, 1919. On August 20, 1921 he married Mrs. Mary Miller.Brother Wright was for many years a faithful member of the Church of Christ and an active Elder in that body, a good neighbor, and friend, a kind loving father and husband.
He departed this life April 17, 1931, at the age of 71 years, one month and 19 days.
In addition to his widow and children he is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Belle Heflin of Whittier, Calif., and Mrs. Lilly Gillet of Portland, Ore.; also two brothers, George H. of Phoenix, Ariz., and Joe of Portland, Ore.
One daughter, Mrs. Pattullo, and the sisters and brothers were unable to be here for the funeral services.
Among those from out of town who were here for the Wright funeral Sunday were Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Pepperd, Mr. and Mrs. Matt Bird, Mr. and Mrs. Mort Hadley, Mrs. Grace Cummings, George H. Torrey and Leslie Smith, all of Coldwater, and Mrs. McFarland of Ashland.
CARD OF THANKS We wish to thank our friends for the many acts of kindness and the flowers sent during the illness and death of our beloved husband, father, and uncle.
Mrs. Mary Wright,
Mrs. Sadie McFarland,
Francis James,
John Wright,
Blanche Pattullo,
Majel Carson,
Frank Wright and Family,
Grace Cummings and Family.
PAT PATTULO DIES -- John Wright of Belvidere received a message last Friday stating that Pat Pattulo of Detroit, Mich. had passed away, after an operation for ulcers of the stomach. The Pattulos formerly lived in Wilmore. Mrs. Pattulo was formerly Blanche Wright, a sister of John, and was born and grew to womanhood at the home in the Ridge Summit community. -- The Wilmore News, October 31, 1939.
Also see:
John H. Wright, son of James E. Wright.
The Town of Majel, Comanche County, Kansas, named after Majel Wright.
March 12, 1892
Ridge Summit Observations The Western Star, March 12, 1892.Report of the Wilmore Church of Christ, August 23, 1953.
Dedication of the Wilmore Christian Church, March 15, 1913
June 28, 1917:
Red Cross Fund Oversubscribed, The Wilmore News, 28 June 1917.November 1, 1918:
AMONG OUR BOYS
Madison J. Carter, William Murton Carter, Warren Wilson Day, Edgar Ward Harmon, George Johnston, Stanley Edgar Proctor, Fred Harry Scholle, Guy W. Von Schriltz, Franklin F. Septer, Quincy Virgil Winningham, Leo Isaac Williams and J.H. Wright.Martha (Baker) Wright, sister-in-law of James E. Wright, wife of George H. Wright.
The 1924 Pocket Directory of Wilmore, Kansas
Felix Martin McMillen "From Missouri he came to Kansas in 1886 by covered wagon route, accompanying the Baker, Wright and Powell families, well-known Comanche-co., pioneers.", The Wilmore News, October 29, 1926.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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