Beverly A. Wright

Mom was born November 16, 1929 in Tobias, Nebraska. She grew up on the farm south of Ohiowa with her parents, Seth B. Heston and Margaret Bornschlegl Heston. She had an older brother, Gaylord who was born in December, 1925 but died in January, 1928. She recalled often when she was young how difficult times were growing up and how hard her mom and dad worked. They were always careful how they spent money never spending it foolishly. She described how Grandma would save up her egg money to buy real special things, like a pair of shoes for her dad or a school outfit for herself. Mom usually walked to country school as a child which was only about a half a mile down the road from her house. She said when she first started school she would wait at the end of the drive for the older neighbor boy and his sister to walk to school with. After completing the 8th grade at the country school she went on to the high school in Ohiowa where she graduated in 1947. She worked at the JC Penney store in Geneva for a few years after high school. Like a lot of kids her age back then, she enjoyed going to dances on the weekend. This is where she met Jim Wythers the guy she would eventually marry on September 3, 1948 at the Ohiowa Methodist Church. The same church that she was baptized and confirmed in as a child. Later she would become a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ and she became a 50 year member in 2000. Mom and Dad lived on his family's farm just west of Burress. It was a fairly natural transition from being raised by parents with a background in farming and good midwestern values to living with a man that shared similar beliefs and values. Mom soon found herself raising children and keeping house. Whenever she had time, between feeding chickens, gathering eggs, running errands for Dad, making and taking lunch to the field, either hauling fertilizer to the field or grain to the elevator, tending the garden, canning sweet corn and other vegetables and cleaning chickens. And when time allowed and Dad was caught up with field work, they would pack up the kids and go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. There they would spend evenings playing marathon games of pinochle while the kids watched Lassie, Gunsmoke, or Red Skeleton. Mom said that she was always blessed with four boys (we often thought Dad was blessed because as soon as possible he would have us doing chores and driving tractor) but finally a little girl. Mom’s life with Dad was cut short when he died in 1973 after fighting cancer for several years. This led to Mom moving to Geneva with her two teenagers, Todd and Kellee and for the first time in her life she worked for a paycheck off the farm first with Elsie Reinsch in the courthouse and later for Dr. Kennel. In 1975, Mom ran into a former Ohiowa schoolmate of hers, Norm Wright and after a brief engagement married him on July 3rd. Norm was a successful Territory Manager for Cargill Seeds in Lexington, Nebraska but made the difficult decision to move to Geneva since Mom said she wouldn’t move away from her children. Mom joined Norm in his work and together became one of the most successful teams in the Cargill Company earning numerous awards in sales. Norm knew and loved the business of selling and Mom knew and loved people which made them an unbeatable team. She never referred to the farmers as dealers or customers but rather as their ACargill family. She not only got to know the farmer and spouse but also their children and grandchildren. They enjoyed numerous years of going on trips all over the world from their efforts with their "Cargill" family. In 1985, Bev started life again through recovery. This was something she was very proud of and privately embraced but knew only through the grace of God was she able to maintain her recovery. She did so throughout her remaining years in a manner in which few people were aware. Before Norm's death in December 2007, they enjoyed many years at their "home away from home" in Glen Elder, Kansas. They both enjoyed fishing and must have crossed every foot of Lake Wakonda catching hundreds of fish of all sizes, shapes and kinds. They also were more than willing to share their catch with all their family and friends once they returned home. It was very difficult for her when her oldest son, Steve died unexpectedly in 2008 at the age of 58 and it was compounded by the death of Steve's wife, Mary, earlier in September of 2001. Frequently Mom would wonder how those kids were going to make it without their parents. Mom experienced much sadness, loss, and disappointment in the last 10 years even to the point that she would question why so many things were happening to her. But she was determined not to allow these events to keep her down. She would gain strength through the friendships she had and with the family she nurtured. She had a quiet determination in most everything she did in her life. Mom liked to get up in the morning to a fresh cup of coffee and the Lincoln Journal to read the current events and to do the crossword puzzle. During the day Mom was actively involved in church activities, helping at the Bloodmobile, helping with Save for America at the elementary school, and assisting with heart and cancer drives and attending school activities of Nicole, Bria and Danny. After the sun went down, you could typically find her playing cards with her good friends. Mom always said "you haven’t lived until you’ve been a Grandma" so we would be amiss if we didn’t mention her latest title of Grandma-great. Mom was preceeded in death by her parents, Seth and Margaret Heston, brother, Gaylord, husband, Jim Wythers, husband, Norm Wright, granddaughter, Casey Ann Edgar, daughter-in-law, Mary Wythers and son, Steven Wythers. She is survived by sons/spouses, Mark Wythers, Geneva, Nebraska; Todd & Carol Wythers, Geneva, Nebraska; Dave & Jeanie Wythers, Fairmont, Nebraska; daughter, Kellee Edgar, Papillion, Nebraska; step daughters/spouses, Sue & Matt Williams, Gothenburg, Nebraska; Diana & Scott Kline, West Jordan, Utah; stepsons/spouses, George & Mindy Wright, Lincoln, Nebraska, Mike Wright, Lexington, Nebraska; sisters-in-law/spouses, Evalyn Slepicka, Geneva, Nebraska; Elnora & Ed Schultz, Oxnard, California; Virginia Vavra, Lincoln, Nebraska; Delight & Archie Chapman, Geneva, Nebraska; Gloria & Hal Mullion, Flat Rock, North Carolina; grandchildren, Conly, Micah, Jana, Chad, Gabrielle, Daniel Wythers, Nicole Edgar and great-granddaughter, McKenzie Wythers. Funeral services will be held Monday, June 6, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Geneva, Nebraska. Public visitation will begin Sunday at 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home in Geneva, Nebraska. Interment will be in the Geneva Public Cemetery. Memorials are directed to the Congregational United Church of Christ.

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Beverly A. Wright

November 16, 1929 - June 2, 2011