Cora Elizabeth “Beth” Wright

Cora Elizabeth “Beth” Wright joined her late husband Jay Wright on Monday, July 11, 2022 at The Princeton Memory Care Cottage in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Beth was born August 8, 1941 to Mark and Frances Plumb in Everton, Missouri. She was the third child of four to be born to this marriage. Her early life was spent in Everton and Greenfield, Missouri. She graduated from Greenfield High School in 1959.

Following graduation, Beth briefly lived in Springfield with her sister Jo Ann, before settling in Kansas City. She began working at the Federal Reserve Bank, where she met lifelong friends Patty Winter and Pat Hobson. The threesome thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of being young and single in the early 60’s. Beth also started seeing Jay Wright, who had moved from Dadeville to Kansas City at about the same time. Their relationship blossomed into a marriage that lasted over 53 years. Jay and Beth had a daughter Kim and a son Mark while residing in Raytown.

Beth continued to work full time, having jobs at Phillips 66, Sears and Roebuck, Total Health Care, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, HPMA, and multiple private practice doctor groups. While at Total Health Care, Beth met another lifelong friend, Linda Laitner.

As a homemaker, Beth kept an immaculate house, where it was said you could eat off the floor. Saturday mornings were spent making the home spotless, before any other activities or fun were had. She was adept at keeping her family looking sharp, with the whitest of whites, and firmly pressed shirts, shorts, pants, t-shirts, and rumored to include underwear. Her preference for perfectly white shoes was known to all she met. It was often better to buy new shoes before visiting Beth so that she didn’t critique or try to clean yours up. The makers of fabric starch, bleach, and shoe polish were fortunate to have Beth as one of their best customers.

Although Beth was not tall in stature, no one would mistake her might when it came to expressing her opinion, or her work ethic. She was usually ‘The Boss’ in all the offices where she worked, keeping everyone else in line. Even the doctors that she worked with had a healthy respect, and perhaps fear, of doing something that got them on her bad side.

Following retirement in 2007, Beth moved back to Greenfield with Jay, and her sister, Sheila. They resided in the same home where her parents had lived. Beth became active in the community as a member of the First Christian Church and the Greenfield City Council. She remained in Greenfield for a short time after the passing of the love of her life, Jay, in 2016. She then moved to Kansas City to be closer to her daughter, Kim.

Beth was preceded in death by her husband Jay (J.C.) Wright; parents Mark and Frances Plumb; brother Jimmy; and sister Sheila.

She is survived by her sister, Jo Ann Kramer and her husband, Rod; daughter, Kim Scheerer and her husband, Todd; son, Mark Wright and his wife, Megan; grandchildren: Hayley Scheerer, Hannah Beckett and her husband, Jackson, Nick Wright and Jacob Wright; and a multitude of friends and family.

Funeral services were at the Greenfield Funeral Chapel at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 16, 2022, with burial following at the Greenfield Cemetery. The family received friends on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. until service time in the funeral chapel.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Greenfield First Christian Church or Traditions Health and Hospice.

Online condolences may be shared at www.greenfieldfuneralchapel.com.