Evelyn Jane Wright, 84,

a longtime native of Great Falls, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, with her family at her side.

A memorial service will held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

Evelyn Jane is survived by her husband of 64 years, Clarence H. Wright; sons, Jim Wright and wife, Margaret, of Everett, Wash., Bob Wright and wife, Lisa, of Savage, Minn., and Steve Wright and wife, Kathy, of Columbia Falls; daughter, Margaret Winters, and husband, John, of Richland, Wash.; and 10 grandchildren.

She was born and raised in Great Falls and had moved to Columbia Falls in January 2008.

Her parents homesteaded a wheat ranch located on the Bootlegger Trail north of Great Falls and she spent her childhood years living on the ranch. During her childhood, she enjoyed riding her horse, Monkey, and training her fox terrier, Penny. After completing elementary school in a one-room school house, she moved to Great Falls and graduated from Great Falls High School.

She attended the University of Montana and after college returned to Great Falls and worked for General Mills. She met Clarence at a Gore Hill USO function and they were married in March 1944. She was a "stay-at-home" Mom, caring for her family.

She enjoyed working in her garden and sewing. She became an expert seamstress and made many clothes for her family and was well-known for raising many unusual varieties of day lilies. Her day lilies won many awards at the Montana State Fair and she provided advice to people interested in gardening and raising day lilies.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 3809 Sixth Avenue South, Great Falls, MT 59405-3601; or the Montana Veterans Home, 400 Veterans Drive, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.