Mary Alice “Betsy” Taylor Wright was born on January 4, 1940 to Jim and Julia Taylor in Douglass KS. After two girls, the Taylors were hoping for a boy and she picked up the nickname “Betsy Pete” from her dad. “Betsy” stuck and that is how she was known by family and friends her entire life. At a young age she had a love of horses and she would convince her mother to saddle her horse at their home in town. However, her mom refused to continue the practice after Betsy’s horse stood on her foot. Betsy then convinced her dad to rig up a pully so she could saddle her own horse. Often, she would pack a lunch and be gone most of the day riding the Eckel property south of town. Growing up she popped popcorn at the movie theater, fried hamburgers at a downtown cafe, and collected sale proceeds at the Douglass Sale Barn at the age of 13. She worked as a telephone operator and became unemployed when Southwestern Bell purchased the local telephone company. In 1955 she met Sam Wright, a cowboy who lived alone out in the Flint Hills near Latham. Betsy was known to disconnect the odometer on Julia’s Oldsmobile to hide her trips to see her boyfriend. Despite her trips to Latham, she was the 1957 Class Valedictorian at Douglass High School.
Betsy and Sam were married on June 2, 1957 in Douglass at the First Christian Church and began life together in a small home in Douglass. Betsy began a career in the post office as a postal clerk in 1967 and was appointed Postmaster in 1977. She served in that capacity until her retirement in 1998. For her retirement, Sam bought her a horse and saddle to replace the horse and saddle he sold shortly after they were married. She spent many days riding pastures and working cattle with Sam and area ranchers. She was proud of her career serving the community as Postmaster, and enjoyed her time on her horse, but she was most proud of her position as “the hand that rocks the cradle”. Taking care of her husband and children, and in her later years enjoying her grandchildren was the gift that she most looked forward to.
She is survived by Sam Wright, her husband of 63 years, sons Marty (Debbie) Wright of Council Grove and Mark (Gayle) Wright of Douglass, and daughter Mary (Russel) Flippo of Douglass. She is also survived by nine grandchildren, Brett (Nicole) Wright, Samantha (Brady) Martin, Savannah (Mike ) Fox, Sarah (Taylor) Hageman, Suzie (Jean Carlos) Garcia, Jordan Roberts, Emily (Grant) Jones, Katie Flippo, and Allison (Jacob) Edwards, as well as six great grandchildren, Bailee and Kolter Wright, Weston, Grayson and Berkeley Martin, and MacKenzie Edwards. Also surviving are brothers Hope (Jana) Taylor and Bill Taylor, both of Douglass, and sisters Ann Frakes of Douglass and Dorothy (Butch) Hubbard of Augusta. She was preceded in death by her parents, and sisters Kate Haaga and Connie Althouse.
Services are scheduled for Friday May 15. Due to the current situation concerning covid-19, the service will be restricted to family only. Memorials in her memory have been set up with the Douglass Public Library and the Douglass Senior Center and can be sent to Smith Mortuary 1415 North Rock Rd, Derby, KS 67037.