Klea Fae (Garfield) Wright

Klea Fae (Garfield) Wright, our wonderful mother, passed away at home on October 2nd, 2011 from liver cancer. She successfully recovered from cancer twice previously.

Klea Fae was born and raised in Tremonton, Utah. Her parents were Jesse Harvey Garfield and LaVon (Brough) Garfield. Klea Fae got her name from two of her mother's friends, "Klea" and "Fae". She grew up in Tremonton and graduated from Bear River High School in 1947. She worked as a telephone operator in Tremonton. Klea Fae married John (Jack) Hopkins Wright on January 5, 1948 in Tremonton, Utah. They resided with Jack's parents for the first three years of their marriage in Corrine, Utah. The farm in Corrine wasn't large enough to support multiple families so in 1951 they settled in Moses Lake to try to get a new start in farming. They spent 10 years moving around the area including homes in Moses Lake, Warden, and Othello. They finally settled on a farm south of Moses Lake in Block 42.

Klea Fae (her friends knew her as Klink) was a hard working woman all her life. She was actively involved in the farm driving truck or tractor, daily changing siphon tubes, and riding around the farm on her motorcycle.

Jack passed away September 3, 1974 and Klea Fae moved into town to begin a new phase of life. In May 1975 she settled on Turnagin Place where she lived for 30 years and where her last child graduated from high school and left home. Klea Fae enjoyed an active life after the farm including travel to Japan, Greece, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Nashville. She also enjoyed many years with her bowling group and traveled many places with them. She also loved to golf and spent many years on the golf course.

Klea Fae was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints and served in many positions. Her favorite positions were when she served as Relief Society President and her 8 years in the nursery. She loved children, especially babies and hungered to hold a baby whenever she could. She had great compassion and visited many who were homebound or of poor health including many in the local nursing homes. She was a member of the Moses Lake 3rd Ward.

Mom loved life and loved people. Even in recent days with failing health, she would perk up when people would visit and get excited to see her friends. Anywhere mom went, she knew someone or they knew someone that she knew. Klea Fae is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jack Wright, her younger siblings Don Garfield and Deanna Arbon, and two granddaughters - Tia Morad and Tara Morad. She is survived by her four children, Merlynn (Cliff) Gullings of Tacoma, WA, Leslie (Bob) Griggs and Sheryl (Leo) Morad of Moses Lake, and Roger (Brenda) Wright of Pasco, WA. She is also survived by 15 living grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Grandchildren include Eric Thaut, Stacie (Jarrod) Kaiser, Amy Gullings, Jered (Angie) Post, Allison Post, Katie Griggs, Donovan Griggs, Lexi Morad, Jack Morad, Jesse "Tug" Morad, and Shelby Morad, Nicholas (Ashley) Wright, Samantha Wright, Quentin Wright, and Haley Wright. Great-grandchildren include Aiden Johnson, Lucas Post, Blake Post, Tae Kaiser, and Charlize Wright.

Mom, we love you more!

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 7, 2011 at the Moses Lake Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 1515 Division. Private family viewing will be from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the church on Friday, Oct. 7th. Interment will follow at Pioneer Memorial Gardens. Please sign the online guestbook at www.kayserschapel.com Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory. Memorial contributions may be made to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 1337, Moses Lake, WA 98837