Doris Elaine Wright, 75, daughter of Gale H. and Ethel A. Harris Kiser, was born Oct. 22, 1939, at Success, Mo. She went home to be with the Lord on Jan. 31, 2015, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo.
Doris was the youngest of seven children. She grew up on the family farm near Success, attended Gladden elementary school, graduated from Houston High School with the class of 1957 and attended Southwest Missouri State University for two years.
Doris was part of a large, close family. Within this family setting, many of life’s lessons were learned and passed on to her children. Work hard and you can accomplish anything you set out to do, live life to the fullest, be proud of who you are, respect others and be honest. However, the greatest lesson learned was a love for God and His Word.
She worked at Fort Leonard Wood for 32 years. The first seven years were in the Administrative Office of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, later transferring to the Finance and Accounting Office. Because of her knowledge and experience in government accounting systems, she was selected to serve on various testing committees and traveled to many different military sites to validate new software systems and updates. She retired in September 1994 after 25 years of civil service. The following year, she became Administrator of the Houston Senior Center, retiring from there in February 2002. She took pride in the fact that the new Senior Center on Grand Avenue was completed and the mortgage was retired during her tenure there.
Doris spent time volunteering with her church, the Houston Senior Center and Relay for Life. She was a Girl Scout Leader in St. Charles and Houston and served as Neighborhood Chairman for this area for four years. She was on the first board of TRAIN and was instrumental in securing the first local dial-up Internet service for Texas County.
Doris’ love for life was demonstrated with her many hobbies including crafts, quilting, painting, genealogy, sewing doll clothes, reading, doing puzzles and square dancing. She enjoyed giving gifts to family and friends.
She gave her heart to the Lord early in life. She was saved and baptized Sept. 5, 1948, joining the Union Free Will Baptist Church at Success. She later transferred her membership to the First Free Will Baptist Church in Houston, where she was active as long as her health permitted. Doris taught Bible School and Sunday School classes for many years. She loved the Lord and knew that He was guiding and comforting her each day.
Doris married Hubert Wright on Nov. 10, 1961. Her proudest accomplishment in life was their five children. Doris loved her family and was concerned about their wants, their needs and their hurts. She rejoiced in their accomplishments. She enjoyed family reunions and gatherings with stories from the past, fun and good food! Spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren was especially precious as she had time to enjoy all the little things she didn’t have time for with her own children.
Doris was preceded in death by one son, Gale Wright of Houston; her parents, Gale and Ethel Kiser; grandparents, John Marshall and Emily Ann Kiser and Aaron V. and Joyce Mae Harris; two brothers, Melvin and Marshall Kiser; two sisters, Mabel Cook and June Fansler; two nephews, Leroy Buckner and Nick Tuttle; and three nieces, Marsha Louise Tuttle, Barbara Tuttle Hatch and Pamela Jean Fansler.
She is survived by four daughters and their husbands, Dawn and Jerry Spencer of Houston, Karen and Tony Shelton of Bucyrus, Traci and Craig Knubley of Festus and Patti and Jamie Roberts of Richland; two sisters, Shirley Ramsey of Licking and Nadine and Oris Ballard of Houston; one brother-in-law, Herbert Cook of Licking; a special cousin, Elmer (Junior) Harland and his wife, Mandy, of Taft, Calif.; five grandsons, Jerrod and his wife, Nicole Spencer, Chad and his wife, Jessica Spencer, Tony and his wife, Kristina Shelton, Josh and his wife, Jennifer Shelton and Scott and his wife, Heather Shelton; four granddaughters, Emily and Grace Roberts and Olivia and Sophia Knubley; six great-grandsons, Evan and Owen Spencer, expected baby Spencer, Devin, Dillon and Forrest Shelton; five great-granddaughters, Addison Spencer, Davney, Serenity, Eva and Lilliana Shelton; as well as many other family and friends.
Services are 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at First Free Will Baptist Church with the Rev. Charles Horton and the Rev. Danny Delcour officiating. Pallbearers are Jerrod Spencer, Chad Spencer, Josh Shelton, Scott Shelton, Mike Longwell and Mike Kiser. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery near Success under the direction of Evans Funeral Home.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Gale Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Progressive Ozark Bank or to the Houston Senior Center.
Life shouldn’t be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, ‘Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!’
PAID
