HAMPTON — George Benjamin Wright, 88, passed away September 20, 2026, at MercyOne Medical Center Waterloo from complications of pneumonia.
Visitation will be held Monday, September 28, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Woodley Funeral Home, 306 Central Ave. East in Hampton. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, with interment afterward at Hampton Cemetery.
George was born May 12, 1938, in Randalia, Iowa, to Rollo Wright and “Dorsey” Elizabeth (Willmott) Wright. The third of five children, he grew up on his family’s dairy farm and graduated from high school in Randalia.
After high school, George served his country in the U.S. Army.
When his military service was complete, he went to work around the Midwest building cement grain elevators. The work eventually brought him to the Hampton area and, more importantly, led him to the woman who would become his wife.
George met Edna Boelkes in the early 1960s while he was working on grain elevators and Edna was working as a waitress in Hampton.
Their relationship blossomed, and George and Edna were married in September 1965 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.
The couple eagerly began building their life together, and their daughter, Shirley, became the center of their family.
George continued working with his hands throughout much of his life. After his years constructing grain elevators, he worked in construction for Lamperts Lumber Yard before eventually striking out on his own and operating a carpentry business.
But of all the roles George held during his 88 years, being a grandfather may have been his favorite.
He treasured his grandchildren, Alanna and Kyle Thompson, and especially enjoyed taking them to Beeds Lake to look for wildlife and spend time together outdoors. Those simple trips became some of the family memories that would stay with them for years.
Music also brought George tremendous happiness.
Anyone who knew him knew about his love of Bluegrass music. George even converted a van to make it easier for the family to travel around Iowa attending Bluegrass festivals.
He particularly enjoyed the late-night jam sessions, where musicians could keep playing and George could keep listening long after many others had called it a night.
That love of music became one of the things people most closely associated with him.
George was also remembered for his relaxed, easy-going personality and his ability to find a way forward when life became difficult. Rather than allowing problems to overwhelm him, he had a knack for making the best of whatever circumstances came his way.
George is survived by his wife, Edna Wright; sister Joyce (Wright) Ellis; brother David Wright; daughter and son-in-law Shirley and Kelly Thompson; grandchildren Alanna Thompson and Kyle Thompson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother James “Louie” Wright; and sister Phyllis (Wright) (Lawrence) Fields.
George’s family expressed gratitude to the staff of Franklin Country View and Franklin General Hospital for the care they provided during the final months of his life.
Those wishing to read the family’s complete obituary, share a memory or learn more about the arrangements may visit the official obituary for George Wright through Woodley Funeral Home.
George leaves behind the story of a Northern Iowa life shaped by farm roots, Army service, hard work, craftsmanship and nearly six decades of marriage. He will also be remembered through the things that made him uniquely George — building with his hands, loading up the van for another Bluegrass festival, staying late for a jam session and taking his grandchildren to Beeds Lake to see what wildlife they might find that day.
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