Violet M. Wright

Violet was born May 10, 1932 at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL., the daughter of Fred and Bessie (Morgan) Foster. She attended St. Jarlath Catholic school in Chicago until the 5th grade before attending public school. Raised in the Depression/post-Depression era, her first job was as a Candy Girl at a movie theater around the age of 14. Then at age 16 she worked at a Vienna Bakery before moving to Denver to live with Nanny, her grandmother. She returned to Chicago at age 19 and took a job at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago as an Elevator Operator where she met many famous politicians and Hollywood movie stars getting on her elevator including John F. Kennedy (as US Senator) with his mother, Rose, as well as Bob Hope and Mickey Rooney. She was especially skilled at remembering all the floor numbers (out of 30 floors) she had to stop at as her riders called them out.

Violet was wooed by Franklin D. Wright, a Chicago iron and steel worker, and they married on June 12, 1954. They had three children, then moved to the Chicago suburb of Villa Park, IL building their first home in 1961, where they had three more children. She often said she had seven kids, counting her husband, Frank. After all the kids were in school, Violet took a job at the locally famous Villa Park Ovaltine Factory and later retired from Pepperidge Farm in Downers Grove, IL., always staying busy and working hard.

Mom will be remembered for her love of children and animals - always welcoming kids and strays into the house. She gave the family her all by making sure we had everything we needed - helping with homework, attending our sporting and school events, providing music lessons, going to church, and we always had a meal on the table. She enjoyed shopping, sewing, dining out, traveling, collecting dolls, and dancing the Charleston and the Jitterbug. She’ll also be remembered for her wry sense of humor, i.e., “Here’s your hat! What’s your hurry?”, “Take your time going, but hurry back!”.

She is survived by her six children: Tom (Traci) Wright, Kim (Steve) Davis, Kara (Charles) Nussbaumer, Karen Michelle (Drew) Purta, Frank Jr (Lisa), and Jodi (James) Sennett; eight grandchildren: Nicole Evans, Sara (Jim) Foss, Melissa (Dan) Roehrig and Abigail Wright, Casey (Jennifer) Purta, Rachel Purta, Erica Wright and Jessica Wright; as well as five great grandchildren: Joseph Evans, Tommy Foss, William Foss, Dylan Roehrig, and Sofia Roehrig; and many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death are her parents, her husband Frank, and all her siblings: Leona (Louis) Zilla, Lorraine (Jack) Ackerman, Diana (Jack) Krueger, and Robert (Nancy) Foster.

Service will be held Friday February 17th 9:30am until time of service at 11am and Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home, 17W201 Roosevelt Road; Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Interment to follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Alzheimer’s Assoc. www.act.alz.org would be appreciated.

Violet’s family would like to thank Artis Memory Care, for their care and support.