Marlene Kay Jones Wright, 87, of Mt. Pleasant, formerly of Danville, died Friday, March 20, 2026, at her home, after a short illness.
She was born March 23, 1938, at a farmhouse west of Crawfordsville, Iowa, to Ernest “Pat” and Alyce Partha Gillespie Jones. She attended grade school and junior high in Crawfordsville, and when her father bought a farm in Olds, she graduated from Olds High School.
She attended Delta Airline Tech School in Kansas City, and worked for Delta in Shreveport, Louisiana where she met her husband. She married Terrill “Terry” Wright on May 29, 1958, at the Swedesburg Lutheran Church, Swedesburg, Iowa, and Terry passed away November 22, 2024.
For 35 years Marlene was head of the hot lunch program at Danville Community Schools where she was also scorekeeper and ticket taker at ball games as well as working part time for Kirlins Hallmark Store at Westland Mall. She was a former member of the Winfield Presbyterian Church, was a member of the New London Presbyterian Church where she was a custodian. She loved volunteering, delivering Meals on Wheels; was a faithful member of the General Federation of Women’s Club, where she served as president; was a Girl Scout Leader, and softball coach in New London. She loved to travel especially to see her sons wherever they lived and the GFWC trips to Alaska. She treasured every pet she ever had.
Survivors include daughter Tammy (Greg) Smith of Burlington; and sons Patrick Wright of Biloxi, Mississippi and Jeffrey Wright of Rapid City, South Dakota; four grandchildren; Zachary, Jared, Jenna, and Emily, and her “precious angels” her great-grandchildren Ali, Gia, and Wells. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
Services will be held on Friday, March 27, at 2pm at Elliott Chapel, New London, with Reverend David Mixon officiating. The family will receive friends from 1-2 pm and burial will be at the Cambrian Welsh Cemetery, rural Columbus Junction, immediately following the service.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for the Danville Community School Hot Lunch Program and Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice.
Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.