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Dixie Ruth Wright

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Services: 11 a.m. Jan. 26, at North Nixa Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family hopes donations are made to Dixie’s favorite charity, Least Of These, Ozark. 

Dixie Ruth Wright died in the early morning hours of Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, at the Springfield Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. She was born in Waterloo, Iowa, Aug. 15, 1929, to Roy and Beatrice Phelps. She moved to Colorado in 1956 and lived there until 1980 when she moved to Missouri.

Having never finished high school, Dixie was an independent, self-sufficient, adventurous and hard-working woman. Along with being a wonderful wife and mother, she spent a large portion of her life working as a waitress. In Denver, she worked at the world-famous Brown Palace in the Ship’s Tavern. It was there that she met many famous people including John Wayne, the Beatles and Buddy Hackett. In Nixa, she was employed at Smitty’s Restaurant for many years. What she loved most about working in restaurants was interacting with her customers. She went on to marry one of her favorite customers, Dale Wright, Jan. 4, 1999. The two of them cherished time together traveling and attending church.

Dixie enjoyed meeting new people and they enjoyed getting to know her, too. She loved playing cards, traveling and spending time with her children and grandchildren. And, oh, how she loved shopping for clothes and shoes! Nevertheless, what gave her the greatest joy was when she could help others, whether it was her family, friends or the less fortunate.  Dixie was grateful to her Lord and Savior for His love and mercy toward her. She was a faithful member of the Baptist denomination since the early 1970s. Despite any difficulties she experienced in life, she remained faithful to Him.

 Dixie is survived by her brother, Ralph Phelps and wife Verna; daughters Sheila Franssen and husband Jack, Pamela Rood, Terri Smith, Linda Langford and husband Chris; her grandchildren, Wayne Hill, Michael Hill, James Hill and wife Megan, Stacey Warneke and husband Cory, Rick Rood, Kevin Rood and wife Kaila Pakula, Heather Davis and husband Brandon and Jake Langford and fiancé Kaelan Travis; Kyle Langford, Katelyn Benedix and Bryan Reid; 11 great-grandchildren and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

Dixie was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Beatrice Phelps; sisters Genevieve Paulson and Viola Moyer; brother Dick Phelps; husbands Wayne Smith, Gene Armstrong and Dale Wright; son David Smith; sons-in-law Richard (Dick) Rood and Graeme (Chester) Hill; and great-grandson William Rood.


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