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Robert Richard Wright
Robert Richard Wright, my father's oldest brother, was born October 5, 1875, at Little
Crab, Fentress County, Tennessee, and died December 13, 1967, in Washington County,
Indiana. His parents were John Taylor Wright and Elizabeth Ann (King) Wright. His paternal
grandparents were Mathias Austin Wright and Elizabeth Jane
(Wright) Wright. His paternal great-grandparents were Matthew W.
Wright and Margaret Ann (Ritchie) Wright. Also John Wright and Elizabeth (Lindley)
Wright. His maternal grandparents were Robert King and Nancy
Agnes (Beaty) King. In 1897, Robert Richard Wright married Emma Ledbetter, who was born
April 8, 1882, in Fentress County, Tennessee, and died May 10, 1956, at New Albany, Floyd
County, Indiana. She was the daughter of Bertha Ledbetter and Peter Priam King.
"Pete" King was an older brother of "Rob" Wright's mother, Elizabeth
Ann (King) Wright. So, my "Uncle Rob" Wright and his wife, Emma, were first
cousins.
The children of Robert and Emma were as follows: Lillie Ellen Wright, Sept. 16, 1898 July
8, 1976; Pearl Wright, Mar. 31, 1900 Dec. 30, 1974; Nancy Jane Wright, May 9, 1903 - Dec.
30, 1964; Pansy Wright, born and died about 1905; Bertha Mae Wright, born Nov. 29, 1907 --
still living; Della Wright, Dec. 17, 1909 -- Mar. 1, 1981; Porter Taft Wright, Jan. 15,
1911- June 6, 1963; Coy Raymond Wright, Oct. 24, 1913 - Jan. 29, 1982; Ruth Wright, born
Oct. 17, 1915 -- still living; Herman H. Wright, born Apr. 29, 1918 -- still living;
Charles Herding Wright, born Mar. 11, 1921-- still living; Ivan Carman Wright, born June
9, 1923 -- still living; and Mabel Roxie Wright, born Nov. 24, 1925 still living.
The marriages of the sons and daughters were as follows: Ellen married Hubert Smith, Dec.
6, 1914; Pearl married Irvin Lewis, Mar. 13, 1924; Nancy married Herbert Lee, Feb. 13,
1923; Bertha married George Barbour, Dec. 3, 1926; Della married Elvin Wooldridge, Dec.
22, 1934; Porter married Sylvetta Lewis, d/o Irvin, Oct. 31, 1931: Raymond married Marie
Deaton, Apr. 18, 1936; Ruth married Roy Miller, Nov. 25, 1933; Herman married Gladys
Baker, Sept. 13, 1941; Charles married Thelma Hensley, Mar. 7, 1942; Ivan married Mary
Ruth Farnsley, Dec. 11, 1943; and Mabel married John Proctor, III. Dec. 24, 1948.
The grandchildren of Robert and Emma Wright were as follows: Ellen's children: Grace
Clementine Smith, born Dec. 27, 1915; married Claude Webb; Bennie Harrison Smith, June 8,
1918 - Oct. 22, 1977, married Anna Elizabeth Durnil; Mary Marie Smith, born July 26, 1920,
married Ray Rupe and Earl Atkins; an infant, born and died about 1923; James Wesley Smith,
born about 1926, married Marcella Defraigne and Mildred Raiser; Emma Gladys Smith, born
Oct. 22, 1928, married James York Cantrell; Martha Helen Smith, born Feb. 20, 1935,
married Gerald George Michols; and Violet Marine Smith, born Jan. 3, 1942, married Clyde
Vernon Smith. Pearl's children: Christine Lewis, born Jan. 28, 1925, married Bill
Farnsley; Irvin Eugene Lewis, born Feb. 2, 1931, married Josephine Beaty; and Lloyd Lewis,
born Mar. 1, 1933, married Clarice Flora. Nancy's children: Lola Mae Lee, born Oct. 22,
1923, married Harvey Pendleton; Bonnie Fay Lee, born June 7, 1925, married Alfred Kaiser;
Virginia Lee, born about 1928, married Claude Helm; Geneva Lee, born about 1931, married
Bill Best and Walker Mauldin, Jr.; Herbert Donald Lee, born about 1933, married Weyette
Lewis; Darlene Lee, born Oct. 20, 1935, married Allen Brown; Doris Jean Lee, born Feb. 10,
1938, married Bob Hawkins.
Norma Marie Lee, born Aug. 21, 1940, married Olsen Crane; Nancy Jane Lee, born July 25,
1942, married Ronald Creamer; and Ronnie Richard Lee, born Nov. 9, 1945, married Tonna
Rosenberry. Bertha's children: Evelyn Joyce Barbour, born Sept. 6, 1927, married Robert
Roy Romans; Robert James Barbour, born Dec. 24, 1929, married Charlene Norman; George
Allen Barbour, Jr., born Aug. 18, 1932, married Carolyn M. Kirk; Ruth Elaine Barbour, born
Aug. 28, 1935, married James R. Crowder; and Pearl Louise Barbour, born Nov. 16, 1939, and
died unmarried, Mar. 25, 1957, at age 17. Della's children, 3 of them: Norma Wooldridge,
married Leonard Johnson; Linda Wooldridge, married James Shelton; and Gerald Wooldridge,
married Darlene somebody. Porter's children: Joan Wright, born July 3, 1932, married
Kenneth Phillips; and Helen Wright, born Jan. 7, 1938, married Ralph Hornickel. Raymond's
children: Robert C. Wright, born Apr. 26, 1938, married Carol Sue Bishop; and Earl Wright,
born June 22, 1942, married Shirley Miller. I don't know whether Ruth has children or not.
Herman has one son, Billy H. Wright, born Aug. 5, 1945, married Sherri Spalding. Charles'
children: Leroy Wright, born Oct. 8, 1943, married Sherry Lynn Manship and Mary Lynnett
Fortner; Mary Alice Wright, born Jan. 30, 1945, married Terry Wayne Morris and Delbert
Earl Murphy; Alms Fay Wright, born Sept. 14, 1946, married Donald Meldon Grimes; Pearl
Elaine Wright, born Oct. 6, 1948, married Alan Eugene Strange; Barbara Allene Wright, born
June 23, 1950, married Paul Edison Brown; Donna Jane Wright, born June 28, 1953, married
John Charles Pirtle; and Patricia Ann Wright, born May 5, 1955, married Terry Lee Becht.
Ivan has one son, Curtis Richard Wright, born Mar. 9, 1945. I don't know his wife's name.
And Mabel's children are: John Michael Proctor, III, born Aug. 11, 1952, married Joy
Brooks, but is now divorced from her. And Jo Ann Proctor, born July 20, 1961. She is not
married. That concludes Robert Richard Wright's grandchildren. But he has several other
descendants, with which I am not acquainted.
Robert Richard Wright moved here to Casey County, Kentucky, in 1903, with his wife, their
3 oldest daughters, his parents, and most of his brothers and sisters. He Lived on
Tennessee Ridge a while; then at Riffe Creek a while. Then, in 1924, he moved with his
family to Floyd County, Indiana. Nine more children were born to him and Emma here in
Casey County, and another daughter after they arrived in Indiana. Like 3 of his brothers
(James, Alfred and Peter), he worked around sawmills and gristmills a lot, and farmed
some. He was a fine man. He was liked and respected by everybody. He was my favorite
uncle. Because he was so jolly, cheerful, friendly and accommodating. He was a generous,
warmhearted person. He welcomed his friends and relatives to his home, with pleasure and
sincerity. He enjoyed their visits. He set a fine table, and never made any unkind remarks
after they left, about them not being wanted or "wearing out their welcome."
Uncle Rob and Emma and a few other relatives are buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, at Floyd
Knobs, Floyd County, Indiana. Seven of their thirteen sons and daughters have also passed
on. And the other 6 are sorter scattered. Bertha lives in Illinois. Ruth lives in Florida.
Ivan lives in Texas. Herman and Charles live in Washington County, Indiana now, while
Mabel lives in Clark County, Indiana. My "Uncle Alf' Wright was my second favorite
uncle. He was a fine man too. But I've always liked Uncle Bob the best of all of them.
by Roscoe Hollis Wright
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