Violet Wright lost her battle with COPD on Friday, July 8, 2016 at Christian Community Home in Hudson, Wisconsin. (She would want us to note that she was never a smoker and got the lung disease from years of exposure to farm dust and chemicals).

"This Ain't No Shrinking Violet," stated an editorial cartoon from the Indianhead Star dated Feb. 14, 1991 when Violet was on the Polk County (WI) Board of Supervisors. She was in politics because she wanted to be the voice of the people and not just another stereotypical elected official who said, "Yes" to everything so they could be re-elected. She paved the way for women in politics in Polk County and helped more women be elected to the county board at a time when it was a 'Good Ol' Boys Club." She was tenacious, yet kind-hearted, and always had a smile. She just wanted everybody to get along and to love each other.

And now, after 87 years, Violet is at peace with our Lord, having fought the good fight for the underdogs in our society.
Violet Marie Wright was born to (Axel) Theodore and Grace (Armstrong) Bergstrom at the family farm in Polk County, Wisconsin. She was baptized at the United Brethren Church, Turtle Lake, WI. She attended Sunday school and church at Elim Lutheran, Range, WI where she was confirmed and taught Sunday school. She was also Sunday school superintendent (starting at age 16) there for several years. Her faith was very important to her.

Violet went to a Country School known as Alec A. Johnson School in Beaver Township (Wisconsin). She graduated from Turtle Lake High School in 1947 and continued her education at Polk County Normal School and UW-River Falls where she received a degree in teaching. Her passion in life was teaching – from the Sunday school classes to all eight grades at Apple River Valley, a one-room schoolhouse. She also taught third grade in Clayton and second grade in Amery. She loved her students and shared a story about one boy who was two grades behind and asked her, "Why are you so nice to us?" (He had come from a school where teachers hit the students with a ruler if they misbehaved). She explained she was there to teach him and he would never be hurt at school again. After that, he was able to relax and excel. Violet was delighted when four of her former students (all in their 70s) visited her this past spring at the nursing home.
Violet married the love of her life, Grant C. Wright, on June 6, 1953 at Elim Lutheran Church, Range, WI. They met each other through Luther League and were truly partners who worked well together. They had three daughters: Terresa, Karen and Cheryl.

Violet describes her best years as when she was on the farm working side-by-side with Grant and the girls. In their first three years of marriage, the Wrights' rented a farm near Turtle Lake, WI before buying a farm five miles north of Amery which was 173 acres. It was a ramshackle property that they would clear and expand several more times for a total of over 700 acres and milked 85 registered Holsteins at Lily-Lake Farm. Violet was named the first Wisconsin Farm Wife of the Year in 1979, and in 1980, the Wright's hosted the first Farm-City Day Breakfast in the Amery area. They were members of the Amery First Lutheran Church where Violet also taught Sunday school and was a member of the Sarah Women's Circle.

Violet was also a saleslady for a number of products including World Book Encyclopedia, Jacque's Seed Corn, Mary Kay Cosmetics and monuments. She actually liked sales! She worked as a greeter and sales associate at Wal-mart from age 64 to 74 in St. Croix Falls.
After her oldest daughter, Terresa, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1995, Violet (and Grant) helped to raise the four grandchildren and became like a second "mom" to them. And in the early years before they had their own children, Violet and Grant had several foster children because helping others was very important to them.

Violet also enjoyed reading, writing, growing flowers and vegetables, and serving as a 4-H leader for many years. She started painting and coloring at age 85 while at Christian Community Home in Hudson, WI despite being nearly blind, and said she wished she would have started years before and could have been like Grandma Moses.
Violet moved from the Amery farm to WellHaven Senior Apartments in River Falls before moving to Christian Community Home in Hudson in 2014.

In her last words on Earth, Violet said, "I love everybody," and "I want to go home. I want to see Jesus."

Violet was preceded in death by husband, Grant Wright, daughter, Terresa Hecht, brothers, Teddy, Floyd, Lynn and Lester Bergstrom, and parents. She leaves to mourn, daughter Karen Wright (Jeff Pribyl), Cheryl (Doug) Hoffman; Grandchildren: Heather (Nick Mahoney), James (Lisa), Jessica and Heidi Hecht, Sarah (Corey Tanis) and Jennifer Hoffman (Adam Deibler), Grant and Blake Pribyl; Great-grandchildren: Marius and Marcus Bruce, Josie Hecht, and Draven Route; a sister Mabel(Dahle)Jenssen.

Services will be held on Friday, July 15, 11:00 a.m. at Amery First Lutheran Church. Visitation will be one hour prior to service and on Thursday, July 14, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Williamson-White Funeral Home, Amery, Wisconsin.

In Lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First Lutheran Church of Amery, http://www.flcamery.org/, First Congregational United Church of Christ-River Falls http://firstchurchrf.org/or Adoray Home Health and Hospice http://adoray.org/.