Gloria Arla Mae Wright

Gloria Q. Wright, 94, died on June 14, 2025, at the Elysian Senior Home in Duluth.
Gloria Arla Mae was born on June 6, 1931 at the rural home of her parents, C. Oscar and Randine Quanrud, near Grand Forks, North Dakota. She was baptized on June 19, 1931. Gloria attended a one-room country school, graduated from Grand Forks High School, and was employed by the R.B. Griffith Company in sales and retail credit work. She married James Wright in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 2, 1952, while he was serving in the Air Force.
When Jim went overseas, Gloria returned to Grand Forks. They were reunited there in 1953 where daughter Kathy was born in 1955. Their lives changed beginning in 1957 as Jim's 28-year career with subsidiaries of U.S Steel took them twice to the Chicago area, twice to Pittsburgh, and finally to Duluth in 1978. Their two sons were both born while they lived in Illinois. In 1994 they moved to a condo in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. They then built a house there in 2000 which they sold in 2015 in order to return to Duluth.
Gloria was a proud stay-at-home mom. In addition to finding, establishing, furnishing, decorating, and selling many homes, and raising the family, she was the consummate volunteer – serving as election judge, heading girls' organizations and PTAs, volunteering in hospitals and nursing homes, and serving the Republican Women, as well as assisting at thrift shops and senior citizen centers. While in Duluth, she served on the Women's Club Board. Active in their Lutheran churches, she served as youth group leader, on altar guilds, as well as planning and working on various social events.
Her hobbies included golf, bridge, art, sewing, antiques, and garage sales. Gloria enjoyed entertaining guests in her home and excelled at cooking and baking. She was known in Lake Havasu for her annual lefse bakeoffs.
Gloria was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Jim (on February 27, 2024); their daughter, Kathy (age 48, on January 31, 2004); brothers, Harris, Robert, Truman, and Allan; and sister, Pearl Berge.
Gloria is survived by her son, Thomas (Diana) of Fifty Lakes, MN, and Kenneth (Susan) of Duluth; son-in-law, Dr. William Harris; six grandchildren; two great-granddaughters; two sisters; and one brother.
Visitation will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, June 23rd at New Life Lutheran Church, 4320 Haines Rd, Duluth, with Funeral Service to follow at 11:00 AM. Interment at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Duluth with her dear husband, Jim. In lieu of flowers, gifts to the Ecumen Hospice of Duluth are preferred.
Livestream Link: http://www.youtube.com/live/8oPyV_0o2Uk?si=mA7YIkzpRnNIqnLr
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Gloria Arla Mae (Quanrud) Wright, please visit our floral store.