Rufus Wright

Rufus was born in Ellsworth, Arkansas on October 23, 1926 to Rufus Senior and Ruby Wright. He was raised by his grandmother on the family farm before graduating high school and moving to California. There he found his lifelong sweetheart, Hazel, who was also from Arkansas. They met on a double date while Hazel was out with Rufus’ cousin. They married on March 7, 1945 in Reno, Nevada and then returned by bus to Richmond, CA. Rufus and Hazel left California to return to Arkansas so Rufus could be inducted into the army during WWII. Three days before the date, however, the war ended and they stopped drafting. They relocated to St. Louis, Missouri where Rufus worked for Wagner Electric and they had two daughters, Peggy and Marsha. In 1951, thanks to two young girls who knocked on the family’s door and invited them to their church, Rufus and Hazel rededicated their lives to Christ and began serving Him faithfully. They both taught Sunday school and Rufus was ordained as a deacon in 1956. The Wright family returned to San Jose, CA in 1962, where Rufus later worked for General Electric’s nuclear division. He received his engineering degree and worked there until his retirement in 1988. Rufus and Hazel traveled between Oregon and California for 10 years before permanently settling in Eugene, Oregon in 2006. Over the years, their family grew to include eight grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.