Clara Wright

Clara L. Wright, 85, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home.

She was born Dec. 9, 1924, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of Ferdinand and Claudinia Balsman Jaco. She and Robert R. Wright were married Aug. 10, 1946. He passed away Dec. 29, 2001.

She attended New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson and was a graduate of Jackson High School.

She worked at Wagner Electric and Southwestern Bell in St. Louis and as a secretary at the former Hubert Young car dealership in Jackson. She and her husband owned and operated the former Wright Sinclair gas station in Jackson. She worked at the International Shoe Factory in Jackson, the former Lee Rowan in Jackson as a quality control inspector and as a secretary at the former American Family Insurance Agency of Claude (Gene) Jaco, retiring in 1976.

Survivors include a son, Robert "Butch" (Pam) Wright of Jackson; a daughter, Carole (Ken) Ludwig of Doylestown, Penn.; a daughter-in-law, Teresa Wright of Jackson; a brother, Pete (June) Jaco of Jackson; a sister, Bertha Newell of Bell City, Mo.; eight grandchildren, Dana, Kaci and Brannon Wright, Christi (Kevin) Kuntz, Missy (Clayton) Cartwright, Mandy (James) Szatala, Scott (Rachel) Wright and Dusty (Angela) Wright; and eight great-grandchildren, Caitlyn, Ryan, Alexis, Hailey, Elijah, Piper, Nolan and Spencer.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Daryl Wright; a brother, Clete Jaco; and a sister, Margaret Barks.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Robert Henrichs officiating.

Burial will follow at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the American Cancer Society or St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson.

Sympathy messages may be sent to the family online at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.