Eldon WrightEldon Wright
Eldon L. Wright, 82, of Ipava died at 9:45 a.m. June 17, 2021, at Woodland Township, Fulton County.
He was born July 7, 1938, in Laura, a son of Russell and Gladys Kneer Wright. He married Mary Blazevich in 1957 in Peoria.
Surviving are two sons, Michael (and Sue) Wright of Ipava and Mark Wright of Danville; four daughters, Michelle Edwards of Canton, Marie Wright of Silver City, N.M., Julianne (and Kevin) Young of San Diego, Calif., and Joy Wright of Lake Roberts, N.M.; two brothers, Russell (and Marti) Wright of Ft. Worth, Texas, and Sherman Wright of Springfield, Ohio; one sister, Roseanne (and Roland) Lahne of East Peoria; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He worked at International Harvester in the 1970s. He last worked as a truck driver for R and K Trucking in Princeville.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving from 1955-59 with a rank of Machinist Mate 2nd Class. His last duty assignment was on the USS Hector.
He was a pilot, flying private airplanes and jets. He was manager of the Havana Municipal Airport in the 1970s. He was Chief Pilot for the Mount Hawley Airport in Peoria, the Rock Falls Airport in Rock Falls, the Kotzebue Airport in Kotzebue, Alaska, and for Delta Airlines. He flew crop dusters in Texas and also was a flight instructor, teaching several area residents how to fly. He was a member of the former Fulton County Garden Tractor Pullers Association. He won many tractor pulls and enjoyed working on the engines and the competition of the pulls.
Memorial services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 30, at Shawgo Memorial Home in Astoria with Pastor Doug Krukewitt officiating. Military rites will be provided by the Ipava American Legion and the U.S. Navy Honor Guard. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on June 30 at the memorial home. Burial will be at Princeville Cemetery at a later date.
Memorials may be made to Ipava American Legion.
Condolences may be sent to www.shawgomemorialhome.org.
Current Obituaries in the Astoria South Fulton Argus