Barbara Elizabeth Wright

Barbara Elizabeth (Williams) Wright was born September 12, 1950 to Blackie and Ruby Williams in Beaver, Oklahoma and passed peacefully Sunday, April 3, 2022. She grew up in Beaver and graduated from Beaver High School in 1968. Her positive attitude, outgoing personality, love of family, and her incredible work ethic were evident throughout her life.

One of her favorite jobs was in food service-Barbara could cook, wait tables, clean and manage a café like no one else. She worked often at the local Sunset Café, and it was while working here she met the love of her life, Vic Wright. She and Vic eventually settled in Forgan to raise their two children, Connie and Mike.

Barbara always worked, and rarely at just one job: cafes, restaurants, harvests, welding, Loves, Ozzie’s, truck driving and Forgan School…. she loved driving the truck with Vic and their time working together was one of her favorite memories, and the school- she loved those kids, and they loved her. They began calling her “Grandma” at school and she loved it. She added bus driving to her cafeteria duties and loved giving special gifts to the kids for every holiday and meeting the needs of some of them if she could. If a child needed a coat or shoes, you could bet she just happened to find some. Barbara loved her time at Forgan School so much that even after her cancer diagnosis, she continued to work there as long as she possibly could.

Barbara LOVED family. Her own family and everyone else’s. If she knew you, she got to know your family, and then, you were HER family. She was always there and ready to help. She loved family reunions, get togethers and games. She attended the activities of her kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and friend’s kids. No Akridge reunion was complete without the sound of her laughter. She gave advice, reflective of her own experiences and life lessons, she listened and encouraged- she was truly, everyone’s loudest cheerleader and she loved. No matter what, she loved. And, she laughed.

Barbara’s positivity and laughter have become her testimony. Her faith was lived out in her ability to press on, with a smile on her face, an “I’m fine” on her lips and a laugh that lit up rooms and made everyone better. She inspired everyone with her will to LIVE. Every year since 2015 was a testament to her outlook, her faith and her belief that she still had things to do. She used that time to travel, to ride motorcycles with Vic, to go to concerts (something she had never done), loving on her grandkids, great grandkids and she and her sister, Delilah, became the best of friends, spending time together as much as possible, giggling, crying, sharing memories and holding hands. She was often shocked by the outpouring of love and compassion by her community, her friends and her church-again, her humility a testament to her own giving heart.

We believe Barbara was greeted in heaven by a host of loved ones, including her parents, her sister and her beloved friend, Theda. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her husband, Vic, of Forgan, daughter Connie (Brock) Theiner, Hooker, Ok., son Michael (Heather) Wright, Turpin, Ok., and seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren: Blaine Hunt-Theiner, Cambri Theiner, Elizabeth Wright (Bennett, Barrett, & Baylor), Rance Wright (Elijah, Oliver), Gideon Wright, Kylie Jennings (Reagan, Elaina, Jayden, Kash), Katie Jennings.

Also, her “adopted” kids, Jimmy Hysell and Danyel Hysell, and their families, cousin Carol Sue Smith, whose loving care meant so much to Barbara and her family, and a host of family and friends who hope to carry on her legacy of love and laughter.