Dolores Wright

Dolores Wright age 92 of Mullen, NE passed away February 13, 2023, at the Linden Court in North Platte, NE.

Memorial services will be Friday, February 17, 2023, at 1:00 pm Mountain Time at the St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Mullen with Pastor Karen Juzenas officiating. Inurnment will be in the Cedarview Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Cedarview Cemetery or St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church. Govier Brothers Mortuary of Mullen are in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.govierbrothers.com.

Dolores Kathleen (Phipps) Wright was born In Hyannis, NE on September 7, 1930. Her parents Charles Luther and Kathrine Lavelle (Dalton) Phipps. They took her home to the Phipps family ranch some 20 miles north of Whitman, NE where she spent the first four- and one-half years of her life playing with her cousins.

In May 1935 the family left the security of the home ranch and moved to a ranch nine miles northeast of Mullen, NE. Most of her lifetime was spent in this area. Two sisters arrived here but no brothers, so being the oldest she was her father’s top hand, riding horses to school, working cattle, and wrangling the work horses for the summer haying. She attended grade school in a one room Cherry County School. Dolores went to Mullen for High School where she graduated as Valedictorian of the Class of 1948. She went to Kearney State to obtain a teaching certificate. Dolores taught a rural school near Brownlee, NE the winter of the 49 blizzard.

On November 14, 1948, she married Howard Lee Wright. He worked at the Carver Ranch, and she finished her school term. The couple then moved to a farm/ranch near Curtis, NE belonging to Howard’s family. Dolores taught school here in Lincoln County riding her horse to school again. In the fall of 1951, due to her father’s health, they moved back to her parent’s northeast of Mullen where she spent the remainder of her life. She taught school two more terms, and in August 1952, they were blessed with their son Charles Lee and in March 1956 Patrick Sidney was born.

Howard and Dolores took an active role in their community. They were confirmed in St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in May 1953. Dolores taught Sunday School for many years and served as Episcopal Church Women President on the local and regional level. She was a Charter member of the Sandhills Toastmistress Club and served in various offices through the Presidency of the four State Regional level. She also was a member of the local and State NE cowbells, sharing her abilities through the offices to State President in 1976-77. She belonged to local Goodwill FCE Club, Red Hats, and Lucubaters. She was much involved in 4-H and other activities of her sons, also seven years as librarian on the book mobile.

With the boys through school, she accepted a job with the USDA Department of Agricultural Statistics in 1975. She thoroughly enjoyed the next 40 years as an enumerator and retiring in 2015 as a supervisor of the Western half of the State. She stayed on the ranch with both sons & families keeping books and cooking!

Dolores entered Linden Court in North Platte, NE August of 2022.

Dolores is survived by her sons Charles (Nancy) Wright of Mullen, and Patrick (Marilyn) Wright of Mullen, and four grandchildren Charlesee (Justin) Schoenrock, Amber Wright, Daniel Wright, and Heather Stockdale, three great grandchildren McKenzie, Maycee, and Blakely.

Dolores was preceded by her husband Howard, parents Charles and Kathrine Phipps and two sisters Patricia Sexton and Lynda Rolfes.