THE GEORGE WESLEY WRIGHT FAMILY

The parents of George Wesley Wright, born 1879, were George F. Wright and May L. Stoops Wright.  They came to Kansas from Butler County, Iowa, settling in the Grace Hill area south of Belleville.

The parents of Clare Ethel Lewis, Chester Lewis and Sophrania Hall Lewis, came to Kansas from Indiana.  For a good many years the Chester Lewis family lived on their homestead, the SE4 of Section 24 south of the "48" schoolhouse.  Ejner Larson now owns this farm.  Mr. Lewis had a blacksmith shop on the corner of the farm, one of the first in the Township.

Mrs. Bert Ainsworth is Mrs. Wesley Wright's sister and W. A. Lewis is her brother.  George Wesley Wright was born in 1879 in Butler County, Iowa.  Clare Ethel Lewis Wright was born 1878, Concordia, Kansas.  Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Wright reared five children, Vera Maude born 1902, married Charles K. Campbell; Merle Everett born 1904, married Winona Perl Whitebread; Vernon Otis, born 1905, married Sarah Louisa Gile; Aldine Frances, born 1910, married Melvin Hillery; Donald La Roy, born 1913, married Vivian Tiller. 

Vera Maude and Charles K. Campbell's children are: Harold Lee, Richard Dean, Carolyn Marlene, Ronald Eugene, and Lois Beth.  Merle Everett and Winona Pearl Wright have one daughter, Janet Ruth Wright.  Frances Aldine and Melvin Hillery have a son Milton Clair, and one daughter, Mari Eloise Hillery.  Donald La Roy and Vivian Wright have one daughter, Linette Arlene Wright.  All of Mr. and Mrs. George Wesley Wright's children were born in Republic County.

Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Wright moved to Norway from Sherdahl, Kansas in 1906.  They then had Vera, Merle and Vernon.  He went into the hardware business and had a livery at the same time.  Some years later he sold the hardware store and in about 1902 or 1903 he built the hotel which he managed and the family lived there.  Later a garage and implement building were added north of the hotel.  These buildings were all north of the hotel.  Mr. Wright sold Fords and Chevrolets while he was in the garage.  The hotel was later rented so he could devote all his time to selling cars.  The Wrights bought the B. B. Medlin property in the south part of Norway and the family lived there a number of years.

In 1918, they moved to a farm now occupied by George Barleen.  They recall a fire in 1920 that destroyed the hardware store, the hotel, and garage.  They lived on the farm for about six years.  They then moved back to Norway and went into the grocery business.  Cecil Dickerhoof now owns this building and has a grocery store there.  Mr. Wright was in the grocery business until he built the hardware building now owned and run by Loren Hedstrom.  He kept the hardware business until 1941 when he sold the implement part to Vernon.  Merle worked at the hardware store during two different periods.  From 1929 until 1931 and again from 1938 to 1942.  George Wright bought the farm just south of the "48" School, the pioneer home of the Chester Lewis family.  With help, he farmed and continued the hardware business in Norway.  Ill health forced him to sell the hardware a little later and Joe Ptaschek bought the building and stock and continued the business.  Mr. Wright died in Concordia, Kansas, July 28, 1945.

Donald Wright operated a service station for several years during the thirties, on the corner north of the hardware building.

Ver, Merle, and Vernon were born at Sherdahl; Aldine and Donald at Norway.

By Winona Wright