Being the 8th of 15 children, Rena Gertrude Worley was born in 1919 to Orville Worley and Bertha (Baxter) Worley in Stockville, NE. In 1934, her mother and 9 of the children moved to Snyder, CO. When in her junior year of high school she met Ed Wright at church. They were married in 1936. In 1942, they moved from Colorado to Portland, Oregon, then moved back to Colorado in 1946, then again to Oregon in 1953, settling and raising their family in Salem.

Rena loved to learn and continued her education, taking secretarial and business courses. She worked in classified for 8 years at the Statesman Journal newspaper in Salem and later worked for an attorney and a chiropractor. Rena was expert at floral design and cake decorating. She was an avid seamstress and made all the children's clothing. During her senior years, she took painting classes and became known for her beautiful paintings. Rena volunteered her time at the Bush House Historical Society, giving tours and fellowshipping with that special group of ladies. Each year she dressed dolls for underprivileged children, sewing elegant and original costumes for each. She was always a busy and caring person, whether working on the cancer drive, being a Brownie leader or caring for her family.

In 2008 at the age of 89, Rena moved to Lewistown, MT, where she lived out her days. Rena is survived by her three children: Eileen Wright, Shirley Shaffer, and Vernon Wright; five grandchildren: Brenda Hiatt, Tonja Shaffer Nakashima, Kyle Shaffer, Edd Wright, and Erik Wright; and10 great-grandchildren. Preceding her in death was her husband Ed Wright in 1994 and grandson Brett Gillaspie in 1985.

Services will be held at Howell-Edwards funeral home in Salem, Oregon.

Published in the Salem, Oregon Statesman Journal on Dec. 6, 2016.