Obituary for LaVaun Wright

Obituary of (Clara)LaVaun Wright

August 21, 1929 – December 22, 2018

Memorial Service:

Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 11:00am

Stuart Methodist Church

219 NE 2nd Street, Stuart Iowa

Clara LaVaun Farwell was born August 21, 1929 in Macksburg, Iowa to Allen LeRoy Farwell and Esther Leone (Duff) Farwell. She passed away at the Stuart Community Care Center in Stuart, Iowa on Saturday, December 22, 2018. 

LaVaun grew up with her family of 3 sisters and one brother (Inez, Dorothy, Charlotte, and Raymond) on a farm in Adair County where they raised cattle, horses, pigs and chickens. Each worked hard enabling them to live off the land for the most part. LaVaun graduated from Greenfield High School in 1946 at age 17. Just after graduating, she taught 1st through 12th grade in the small one room school house at the Harrison #8 Country School in Adair County. After teaching she worked as a Telephone Operator at the Northwest Bell Telephone Company for about 3 years. 

On May 25, 1948 she was married to Paul Lavern Wright in Aztec, New Mexico.  Their marriage was blessed with the arrival of three daughters. Joanne, Connie, and Annette . In 1952 they moved to Gunnison, Colorado. In 1954 they moved to Connell, Washington. Eight years later they moved back to Guthrie Center, Iowa. Next, was a move to Menlo, in 1970, followed by a move to Stuart, Iowa in 1973 for LaVaun’s remaining life. 

Through the years, LaVaun worked as a bookkeeper for her husband both in Connell, Washington and Guthrie Center, Iowa when he worked for The Standard Oil Company and then again in Menlo for Kalbach Oil. In 1970, LaVaun worked at the Feed and Grain Store in Menlo. In 1971 she worked at Stuart United SuperSave as a butcher and Manager of the meat department, and then onto Al’s Super Value in the meat department, also in Stuart. She was also a Girl Scout leader for 10 years. She worked at the Maidrite Café in Greenfield, Iowa, in the kitchen at the 5x80 Golf and Country Club, and as a cook and waitress at the Copper Kettle off I-80 near Menlo. Her last job before retiring was both at the Stuart and Dexter Community Care Center as a CNA for 14 years.

First and foremost, she enjoyed her family and friends dearly, and just as important to her was her faith in Jesus Christ.  Attending Church and Bible Study group was extremely important to her. Many people can say they adopted her as their Mom or Grandma which made her heart very happy! Gardening, cooking, baking, crafts, quilting, cross stitch, embroidering, golfing, walking, nature, camping, picnics, and traveling were other hobbies and interests.  LaVaun spent many hours sewing which included wedding, bridesmaid, flower girl, and prom dresses.  She looked forward to sewing/making dolls and toys for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and other relatives and friends. 

 She helped by volunteering in the kitchen at both the Congo Church and the American Legion Auxiliary. She especially enjoyed helping out in the kitchen during the Vacation Bible School in the summers where she could interact with the large group of kids who attended.

Surviving are her 3 daughters, and two son-in-laws: Joanne Rice, (late husband Terry) of Earlham, Iowa, Connie Wright and (David Weber) of Seattle, Washington, and Annette and (Rick) Hudson of Stuart, Iowa. (Lily, Mom’s cat, who she dearly loved as her companion of about 5 years.) Four Grandchildren: Lisa and (Stacey) Rice, Roy and (Tami) Rice, Misty and (CJ) McMurry, Wynter and (Jeremy) Waltz. 

Her Great Grandchildren: Danielle, Brenna, and Ciera Rice. Zackery (Danielle)  Austin, Tyler, and Kaden Rice. Sabryna and Ethan Leise, Bethany, Carter, Seth, and Maryssa McMurry. Summer Hudson, Gracie, August and  Jaxx Waltz and one Great-Great Grandson: Rory Evans.  LaVaun also had many nieces, nephews and cousins, who she loved so very much and considered them as her own children.

LaVaun was preceded in death by her parents, Allen and Leone Farwell, her husband’s parents, Uri and Eva Wright, her husband, Paul Wright, her son-in-law, Terry Rice, her sisters, Inez, Dorothy, Charlotte, and one brother, Raymond. LaVaun was the last of that generation on both sides of the Farwell and Wright families.

Memorial Contributions may be made to LaVaun Wright Memorial at:

Box 173, Stuart, Iowa  50250