Obituaries : Betty J. Wright

Betty Wright

VINTON: Betty J. Wright, 72 of Vinton died Saturday, November 29, 2014. Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM, Thursday, December 4, 2014 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Vinton with Rev. Dr. Judith Bunyi officiating. Private interment will be at Maplewood Cemetery in Vinton. Visitation will be from 4 – 7 PM, Wednesday at Phillips Funeral Home Chapel, 212 East Sixth Street in Vinton. A memorial fund has been established.

Betty was born July 22, 1942 to Allen and Florence (Ogle) Wright in Illinois. Betty attended school in Illinois and graduated from Washington High School in Vinton with the Class of 1960. She later took many business and banking courses.

She worked in banking for many years in Cedar Rapids and Vinton for many years. In 1990 Betty was elected as the Benton County Recorder. She was honored to have been elected to serve four terms when she retired in 2006.

Betty loved animals, especially golden retrievers she enjoyed volunteering her time at the animal shelter in Vinton. She took many cake decorating classes and many times would make birthday cakes for her nieces and nephews. Betty was very talented at both ceramics and cookie decorating. Her family recalls she was an excellent hostess to wonderful holiday parties and was well known for her beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

She is survived by her three nieces, Elaine (Terry) Harrington of Watkins, Gwynne (John) Whitson and Barbara (Jim) Salger all of Vinton; her great nieces and nephews, Jason (Tosha) Whitson of West Des Moines, Lisa (Brian) Henning of Denver, Colorado; Nichole (Mike) Rinholen of Newhall, Matthew (Amy) Salger of Vinton; Sean (Alicia) Salger of Olin and Michelle (Cole) Knudsen of Watkins; her great great nieces and nephews, Bailey, Ashton and Abigail Whitson; Jack and Kaden Henning, Noah and Ava Rinholen, Gavin and Reagan Salger; Danica Salger and Cale and Charlotte Knudsen, Betty is also survived by several other nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Forrest and Richard Claybaugh and her sister and brother-in-law, Kay and Art Corbett.

The family wishes to thank several people for the care and support to Betty over the years: the staff at the Vinton Lutheran Home especially Kim Emmrich, the staff at Virginia Gay Hospital and Nursing and Rehab, especially Chelsea Earhardt and the staffs at St. Lukes’s Critical Care Unit and Hospice Inpatient Unit. Also a very special thank you to the Frank Family, Todd, Kim, Taylor and Peyton for always being there for Betty over the years with helping hands.

To leave online condolences please go to: www.phillipsfuneralhomes.com.