Don Alvin Wright

September 5, 2023 at 4:42 p.m.


Born December 11, 1937, in Connersville and raised on the farms in Jackson Township where he resided most of his life except the time in the service.  He attended Jackson Township School and graduated from Mays High School with the class of 1955, after which he joined the United States Air Force.  He met and married Nita Carol Wickliffe while stationed at Carswell Air Force Base, Strategic Air Command, in Fort Worth.  They were transferred to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and resided in Blair, Oklahoma, until honorably discharged. 

They had three children after returning to the farms in Rush County; Gary Don (Alicia) Wright, their children Siobhan Wright and John Wright, all of Denver, Colorado; Keith Alan (Glenda) Wright, of Brownsburg, and children, Courtney (Zach) Zumwalt of Greenfield, and Brandon (Janaya) Wright, of Des Moines; and a daughter, Sylinda Jayne (James) Fallis, of Rushville. Cherishing his memory are great-grandchildren Aiden Wright Jaramillo, Alexis Zumwalt, Temperance Zumwalt, and Rhett Zumwalt.  

He served as a Jackson Twp. volunteer fireman and as fire chief. Don also served one term on the township advisory board.  He and Nita were 4-H Leaders for 20 years for Jackson Township.  In 2019, he was recognized as a 50-year member of the Rush County Farm Bureau.  He was, for a time, a Dekalb seed dealer.  He loved Colorado snow skiing.  He and Nita were ballroom dancers, doing both contest and exhibition dancing and attained Full Silver Medal status in 2001.  He and Nita were also members of the Ambassadair Travel Club and had traveled to many U.S. destinations, numerous Caribbean islands, Spain, Morocco, Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.  He was a member of the Rush County Veterans Honor Guard since 2007 and had proudly participated in 415 veterans' funerals and numerous patriotic holiday observances.  He served as a deacon at Sexton Christian Church, Center Christian Church, and Hannegan Christian Church.  He always enjoyed mechanical tinkering and keeping his farm machinery and livestock equipment in good repair.  After retiring from actively farming, he enjoyed working at Carter Lumber Rushville as a salesman and at The Sampler in Homer as a craftsman.

Services for Don were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 5, 2023 in the Hannegan Christian Church with Warren Engle presiding.  Friends visited the family Monday, September 4, 2023 in Moster Mortuary, Rushville.  Burial was in the Hannegan Cemetery and the Rush County Veteran's Honor Guard presided.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Rush County Veteran's Honor Guard or to the Rushville Animal Shelter.

This obituary was written by Don prior to his passing.

Paid obituary

Born December 11, 1937, in Connersville and raised on the farms in Jackson Township where he resided most of his life except the time in the service.  He attended Jackson Township School and graduated from Mays High School with the class of 1955, after which he joined the United States Air Force.  He met and married Nita Carol Wickliffe while stationed at Carswell Air Force Base, Strategic Air Command, in Fort Worth.  They were transferred to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and resided in Blair, Oklahoma, until honorably discharged. 

They had three children after returning to the farms in Rush County; Gary Don (Alicia) Wright, their children Siobhan Wright and John Wright, all of Denver, Colorado; Keith Alan (Glenda) Wright, of Brownsburg, and children, Courtney (Zach) Zumwalt of Greenfield, and Brandon (Janaya) Wright, of Des Moines; and a daughter, Sylinda Jayne (James) Fallis, of Rushville. Cherishing his memory are great-grandchildren Aiden Wright Jaramillo, Alexis Zumwalt, Temperance Zumwalt, and Rhett Zumwalt.  

He served as a Jackson Twp. volunteer fireman and as fire chief. Don also served one term on the township advisory board.  He and Nita were 4-H Leaders for 20 years for Jackson Township.  In 2019, he was recognized as a 50-year member of the Rush County Farm Bureau.  He was, for a time, a Dekalb seed dealer.  He loved Colorado snow skiing.  He and Nita were ballroom dancers, doing both contest and exhibition dancing and attained Full Silver Medal status in 2001.  He and Nita were also members of the Ambassadair Travel Club and had traveled to many U.S. destinations, numerous Caribbean islands, Spain, Morocco, Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.  He was a member of the Rush County Veterans Honor Guard since 2007 and had proudly participated in 415 veterans' funerals and numerous patriotic holiday observances.  He served as a deacon at Sexton Christian Church, Center Christian Church, and Hannegan Christian Church.  He always enjoyed mechanical tinkering and keeping his farm machinery and livestock equipment in good repair.  After retiring from actively farming, he enjoyed working at Carter Lumber Rushville as a salesman and at The Sampler in Homer as a craftsman.

Services for Don were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 5, 2023 in the Hannegan Christian Church with Warren Engle presiding.  Friends visited the family Monday, September 4, 2023 in Moster Mortuary, Rushville.  Burial was in the Hannegan Cemetery and the Rush County Veteran's Honor Guard presided.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Rush County Veteran's Honor Guard or to the Rushville Animal Shelter.

This obituary was written by Don prior to his passing.

Paid obituary

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