Obituary - Wilbur William Wright

A memorial service for Wilbur W. (Bill) Wright, 97, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Grace Lutheran Church in Potlatch, with Pastor Larry Veith officiating. A graveside urn burial will precede the service at 11:30 a.m. at the Freeze Cemetery. Mr. Wright passed away Friday morning at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow.

Wilbur was born Aug. 24, 1915, at Eagle, Idaho, to Darl D. and Lottie Fae (Baker) Wright on his father's homesteaded land.

During the winter of 1917 the family, consisting of Wilbur (Bill) and his sister Eleanor, loaded all the family possessions into a horse and buggy and made their way to Southwick, where he spent his early childhood days along with his seven brothers and sisters.

In 1928 the family moved to Potlatch, where he attended his schooling and graduated from the Potlatch High School in 1933.

Mr. Wright joined the 3 C's, where he was stationed on the North Fork of the Clearwater at Weitas Creek and on the St. Joe River at Marble Creek. Following the 3 C's, he worked in the Blister Rust Program until he was employed at Potlatch Forests Inc. in 1934, where he worked 43 years until his retirement in 1977 as head filer.

He married Alien B. Schultz July 3, 1937, at Potlatch. The couple made their home at Potlatch, where they operated a small farm and his wife operated her beauty shop. Mrs. Wright died in 1999.

He was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church and a former member of the Moose lodge. Mr. Wright enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking and farm work. The couple enjoyed traveling around the United States.

Survivors include two sons, Ron Wright and his wife Marlene of Wenatchee, and Jon Wright and his wife Carol of Burlington, Wash.; a sister, Josephine Flock of Lewisburg, Pa.; and a son-in-law, Gale Dial of Potlatch. Also surviving are six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alien, a daughter, Melva Dial, and a granddaughter, Lori Dial Beebe.

Memorial gifts may be given to the Grace Lutheran Church, Box 306, Potlatch, ID; or to the Potlatch Ambulance Fund, Box 63, Potlatch, ID 83855.

Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse is handling the arrangements.

Lewiston Tribune, September 11, 2012, p. 5C
Transcribed by Jill Leonard Nock