Mona Weller Wright

Mona Weller Wright, age 100, died on October 21, in Phoenix, Arizona. A resident of the Beatitudes Campus on Glendale Avenue, Mona previously resided with her daughter and son-in-law, Kay and Louis Benedict of Phoenix. Born on May 15, 1905, in St. Louis, Mona grew up, and raised four younger siblings, in Bonne Terre, a lead-mining town in Missouri. From the day in elementary school when Lawrence Wright first met Mona as he knelt to help her clean up a shattered ink bottle, they were best friends for life. In 1924, Mona and Larry entered into a marriage that lasted 59 years, until parted Larry's death in 1983. They raised four lovely daughters, Sally Wright Bittner died in 1997. Mona is survived her other three daughters: Jeanne Wright Wilkinson of South Bend, IN; Laura Wright Olsen of Fox Point, WI; and Kay Wright Benedict of Phoenix. Mona is also survived by 16 of her 17 grandchildren, 48 great grandchildren, and 5 great-great grandchildren. Mona's grandchildren in the Phoenix area include Jeff Benedict, Laura B. Eller, Nancy B. Stevens, and Diane B. Thurman. For their large family and their many friends around the nation, the marriage of Mona and Larry was a model of patience, kindness, and devotion. Mona and Larry worked hard to build their American dream. They raised their daughters in La Porte, Indiana, where Larry worked as an insurance agent for Business Men's Assurance. During World War II, Mona served as a driver for the Citizens Defense Corps, and as the first female machine shop operator and supervisor of women machinists in a factory making military airplane parts. After the war, Monda was active in many community organizations. She served for years as the only woman on the YMCA Board, was active in the local Historical Society, and often chaired church bake sales or quilt making or other charitable fund-raising events. One of her greatest pleasures was the Little Theater, where she made costumes and performed in several notable roles on stage, including Bloody Mary in South Pacific. After her husband, Larry, passed away in 1983, Mona spent much of her life in Phoenix, surrounded by family and friends. She has been a member of the Heard Museum, and also a member of PEO. In May, nearly 100 family members gathered to celebrate her 100th birthday at the Pointe Hilton Resort in Phoenix. A memorial service for Mona will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, October 29, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 3641 N. 56th St., Phoenix. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower, Phoenix, AZ 85014, or to the Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004.