Velma M. Wright Townsend

Velma M. Wright Townsend was the 11th of 12 children born to the Rev. O.L. and Elva Hinshaw Wright on May 18, 1938 at the Yuma General Hospital on Avenue B. She joined her husband, parents and siblings in heaven on June 22, 2021.

Velma is survived by her sons Phillip (Debbie) Townsend of Yuma, Douglas (Tami) Townsend of Flagstaff and daughter Jean Howie of Tucson, her grandchildren Matthew (DeeDee) Phillips, Paige (Ben) Brooks, Caitlin (Bryan) Neighbors, Lindsay Howie, Jessica (Tanner) Peterson and Summer (Dane) Smith and 7 great-grandchildren with 2 on the way. She is also survived by brothers-in-law Tom Drysdale and Bill Britain as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore “Ted” Townsend, parents Rev. O.L. and Elva Wright, brothers Orville, Herschel, Kenneth, Lawrence, Glen, Delbert and sibling twins Meryl and Pearl Wright and sisters Joyce Redfern, Thelma Drysdale and Lois Britain. Velma will also be missed by many special and dear friends including Martha Webb, Yvonne Taylor and Elizabeth Carpenter.

Velma was born in Yuma and raised in Yuma and Bard. She attended Bard schools, Yuma Grammar Schools and Yuma High School where she was a cheerleader. She also attended Arizona Western College.

Velma was a working wife and mother, working in school cafeterias when her children were young so she could be home when they came from school. She worked as a bookkeeper for Bruce Church Feedlot, payroll and accounting for Bruce Church, Inc., Sun Western Flyers, Mesa Del Sol and Bard Water District.

Most of her community activities involver her children’s interests. She was a Cub Scout Den Mother, Blue Bird leader, PTA member, 4-H leader, FFA parent, band parent, YHS Football parent and served on the Yuma Union High School District Governing Board and was active in Republican politics, serving as a Republican Precinct Committeewoman. She also taught Sunday School and was Sunday School Superintendent at Grace Church of the Nazarene, where she was a member. For years, she would pick up kids from all over North Gila Valley on Sunday mornings and take them to Sunday School.

Velma was very proud of her heritage and loved to research and share the history of Yuma and particularly, the North Gila Valley. She wrote and prepared several histories of her family, Ted’s family, the settling of North Gila and the Reclamation projects.

She and Ted enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping and traveling together. She even was able to harvest a trophy bull elk. When checked by the game warden, he did not have to ask if she was the shooter, one look at the scope ring above her eye told the story.

The family would like to thank Hilda, Laura and all of the staff at Copper Place Assisted Living for the wonderful care of our mother. And we would also like to thank the staff of Hospice of Yuma and the staff on the 4th floor at YRMC for their care and support.

Funeral services will be at Johnson’s Mortuary on Tuesday, June 29, at 9:00 am. Cecil Pratt officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Crossroads Mission or Hospice of Yuma.