Services
Obituary
Betty J. (Swanson) Wright, 96, of Kanawha, passed away Monday, April 29, 2024, surrounded by her family, at the Hancock County Health System in Britt.
Visitation to celebrate the life of Betty will be held on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at the Ewing Funeral Home in Kanawha. A private family burial will be in Amsterdam Township Cemetery in Kanawha following visitation.
Betty Jean Swanson, the daughter of Paul and Hazel (Carlson) Swanson, was born November 26, 1927 in Boone, Iowa. She graduated from Boone High School.
She was united in marriage to Ward J. Wright on July 26, 1952 in Kanawha. To this union was born one daughter, Kim.
Ward and Betty started a feed and portable milling business in Kanawha in 1956 in which they served many wonderful customers over the years, retiring in 1986. Betty did everything from answering the phone, waiting on customers that came into the store, the bookwork, and even unloading 50# bags of feed from the delivery truck in Ward’s absence. She was no stranger to hard work!
She was also a wonderful homemaker who kept an immaculate home and loved to decorate, especially for every holiday, not to mention her talent at cooking and baking as well. She enjoyed flower gardening and she push mowed part of her yard up until the age of 86.
Betty was well known for her musical talent on the keyboard and her love of playing country music with Ward. Their band “Country Fun” played at various venues, including the Surf Ballroom.
For many years, she and Ward entertained the people of Kanawha in the park during their annual Labor Day Celebration and were honored to be Grand Marshalls in the Labor Day Parade in 2001. They also entertained at various nursing homes in the area and other small town celebrations. They enjoyed going to “jam sessions” in Otho and Dows where they made many special friends.
She was proud of her age and it wasn’t uncommon for her to ask people, “Do you know how old I am?” When she would tell them, they would be very surprised because she certainly didn’t look her age! She loved to dress in youthful attire, along with wearing high heels and fashion boots. Even at age 96, she always had to have “her boots” to wear! She was also very proud of her Swedish heritage.
Betty was kind-hearted and dearly loved her family and friends. She was a wonderful mother and friend to her daughter that many could only hope to have, as well as being her shopping partner. They enjoyed many fun days throughout the years going out for lunch and shopping together. She was also the perfect mother-in-law, as she loved her son-in-law like a son.
She is survived by her daughter, Kim (John) Miller of Britt; grandchildren, Tracy (Thomas) DeWaard of Scottsdale, Arizona and Corey Miller of Britt; great-grandchildren, Ian, Emma and Mason DeWaard; brother-in-law, Carol Wright of Albuquerque, New Mexico; special nephew, Doug (Kathy) Medgaarden of Yukon, Oklahoma; along with other nieces and nephews.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Ward, in 2017; her parents; sister, Arlene Huffman; brother, Harold Swanson; sisters-in-law, Bernice Hovey-Bramon and Zola Medgaarden; and brothers-in-law, Arvid Huffman, Conrad Hovey and Dean Medgaarden.