G. James Wright, 88, of Scottsbluff, died Friday, February 25, 2011, at Western Nebraska Veteran’s Home in Scottsbluff. His funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, February 28, 2011, at Western Nebraska Veteran’s Home Chapel in Scottsbluff with his grandson, The Reverend Edwin James Wiest officiating. Masonic services will be conducted by Mitchell Masonic Lodge No. 263, A.F. & A.M. Interment will follow in the Mitchell Valley Cemetery at Mitchell with military honors provided by the Nebraska Army National Guard. Memorials have been established to Shrine Club in Scottsbluff, Western Nebraska Veteran’s Home in Scottsbluff and Federated Church in Mitchell. Friends may visit from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, February 27, 2011, at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff. Jim was born January 18, 1923, in Mitchell, Nebraska, son of Claude W. and Alta (Atwell) Wright. He graduated from Mitchell High School in 1941. He was an employee of First National Bank of Mitchell from June 1941 to September 1942. He attended the University of Nebraska, School of Business Administration from the fall of 1942 to the spring of 1943. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta on campus. He served in the United States Army Infantry, for three years, from the spring of 1943 to the spring 1946, with 15 months of that in the European Theatre. He obtained the rank of Sergeant. He was in two major campaigns and received the Combat Infantry Badge. Following his discharge he returned to First National Bank in Mitchell from the spring of 1946 to December 31, 1948. He married Dorothy V. Mohr, of Imperial, August 18, 1946. He started in the selling field January 1, 1949, as a Life Insurance Agent. He devoted 45 years to the field of Real Estate Appraising and Real Estate Mortgage procuring. He was also in the field of General Insurance, Life Insurance, and Health and Accident. He opened his own real estate and insurance office in 1950, under the name of Wright Agency in Mitchell and operated it for 17 years. In the spring of 1964, he then merged the Wright Agency with Elmer Magdanz of Scottsbluff. The office was Wright-Magdanz Company located in Scottsbluff. He purchased Magdanz’s interest in the business in 1965. He then changed the corporation to Wright Brothers July 1, 1968, and closed the operation in February 1970. Jim sold land in Arizona for Fuqua Industries for the next two and a half years. He initiated the Gateway Realty of Scottsbluff, Inc. in January 1973 and sold ownership March 1, 1975. From 1975 to 1976, he was with C.A. Story Agency of Sidney where he did real estate selling and real estate mortgage procuring for F.H.A. and V.A. From 1976 to 1979, he owned his own business, The Wright Agency, in Mitchell. From 1979 to 1981, he was Assistant Mortgage Emergency Loan Supervisor for USDA, (Farmers Home Administration) in Scottsbluff. From 1981 to 1983, he was a Real Estate Broker associated with Doane Western Farm and Ranch Corp. When Doane Western closed doors, he associated himself with Gateway Realty of Scottsbluff as Farm and Ranch Specialist. From 1983 to 1985, he was employed by Koehler Corp., a chain of Super 8 Motels. He was a manager and also trained new managers as more motels were built. His work covered everything from bookkeeping, inventory, supervising housekeepers and maintenance, to customer relations. From 1985 to 1993, he worked as a Farm and Ranch Appraiser. His past civic functions and organizations included, Vice-President of State of Nebraska Board of Realtors, Director of the State of Nebraska Board of Realtors where he served as Director for 18 years, President of the Scotts Bluff County Board of Realtors, Vice-President of the Western Nebraska Life Underwriters Association, Secretary of the North Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, Commander of Michie McKeown Post No. 124 of Mitchell, Commander of Scotts Bluff County American Legion, Commander of District 4 American Legion for the State of Nebraska, President of the Panhandle Shrine Club, President of the Mitchell Kiwanis Club, President of Mitchell Parent-Teachers Association, and was an Eagle Scout, Red Feather Honor in his youth. He was a member of the American Appraiser’s Association, Mitchell Master Masons, Mitchell Eastern Star, Alliance Consistory of Scottish Rite, Gering Commandery of York Rite, Sesostris Temple of the Shrine, Tehama Temple of Shrine, Panhandle Shrine Club, life member of Scottsbluff Elks Club, Mitchell American Legion, Mitchell VFW, Mitchell Volunteer Fire Department, life member of Disabled American Veterans, and Phi Gamma Delta. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Wright, daughter, Kathy (Don) Wiest of Superior, and their children, Ellen (Dale) Shrauger of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Emily (Matt) Steele of Castaic, California, Edwin Wiest of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Elisa Wiest of Papillion, daughter, Sue (Bob) Dedlow of Kennewick, Washington, and their daughter, Jamie (Chris) McColl of Sacramento, California, and son, Robby (Chelsea) Dedlow of Meridian, Idaho, six great-grandchildren, and two nephews and their families. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his brother and sister-in-law, Claude R. and Mary Wright, one niece, and one nephew.
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