Obit: Wright, Fred Martin (1877 - 1945)

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Surnames: Wright, Fahlgren, Hennigan, Plucinski, Goeckermann, Benedict, Hooper, Healy, Herian, McConnell, Patterson, Walker, Rowe, Hales, Dorst, Bluett

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 07/19/1945

Wright, Fred Martin (31 Mar. 1877 - 9 July 1945)

Funeral services were conducted Thursday afternoon of last week at the Gilbertson funeral home, Granton, for Fred Martin Wright, 68, who died of a heart attack at Granton Monday, July 9. The Rev. F. A. Fahlgren of Neillsville officiated at the rites. Burial was made in the Neillsville cemetery.

Fred Martin Wright was born at Genoa, DeKalb county, Illinois, March 31, 1877. Here most of his early boyhood was spent with the exception of a few years in Iowa and Oklahoma. It was here also that he received his education. In April, 1900, he married Ada Belle Hennigan at Sycamore, Ill., and in this same year they moved to Wisconsin, locating on 40 acres of unimproved land in the township of Sherwood, seven miles east of Neillsville. Mr. Wright often related how it was necessary to clear land before space could be found on which to build the four-room frame house. Three years were spent here in which two of the 11 children were born: Alta, Mrs. George Plucinski, Plum City, Wis., and Kathryn, Mrs. Alfred Goeckermann, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The family then moved to the town of York, locating on a farm three miles north of Granton, and it is here that Mr. Wright spent the major part of his life. Nine children were born here: Hope, Mrs. Theodore Benedict, Beloit; Bernice, Mrs. Donald Hooper, New York, N.Y.; Vera, Mrs. Donald Healy, Milwaukee; Fern, Mrs. Louis Herian, Milwaukee; Olive, Mrs. Roy McConnell, Mauston. Four sons: Glenn, U.S. army, European theater; Harold, Missoula, Mont., Fred J., Waterford, Wis.; Clayton, U.S. army overseas.

Mr. Wright is survived by the 11 children, seven sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law, four grandchildren, and one sister, Mrs. Ralph Patterson, Genoa, Ill. His wife died in 1929.

Serving as pallbearers were some of Mr. Wright’s old friends and neighbors: Bert Walker, Walter Rowe, Loren Hales, Mike Dorst, Lee Bluett and George Hales.

Along with the many duties of operating a large farm and raising a large family, Mr. Wright also found time for activities in many other fields. His major interest toward his family was one of education, doing everything possible in giving each of his children the training desired. He served 18 consecutive years on the school board of the local school in the town of York.

Much of his time was also spent in efforts to improve his farm and farming methods, working in close co-ordination with county agents and agricultural representatives.

He worked tirelessly in an effort to produce better livestock, being a member of the Holstein-Fresian associaton for many many years. Through this work he became generally known as the owner of a fine herd of Holsteins. His success as a farmer was also marked by his interest in good horses, which made him and his prize stock a familiar figure at the Clark county fair each fall for many years. The sons can easily recall Sunday callers who stopped to see "Dad" give his prize horses a work-out in the barnyard.

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