Myrna F. Wright

MYRNA FLORENCE WRIGHT, age 88, died on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at the Northfield Retirement Care Center in Northfield.

Myrna was born in Waseca on January 5, 1931 to Thomas J. Wright and Florence (Koehler) Wright.  She graduated from Waseca High School in 1949.  Her first job was in Minneapolis working for the Federal Reserve Bank.  In 1951 she enlisted in the WAC (Women’s Army Corps).  Basic training was held at Fort Lee, VA.  She then attended Cryptography School at Camp Gordon, GA, and after graduation was assigned to the Pentagon crypto room at Fort Myer, VA for nine months.  Myrna requested overseas duty and was assigned to SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters for Allied Power in Europe) 7th Signal Corps WAC Detachment in Paris, France.  While serving at SHAPE, she was promoted to Sgt. and, along with her WAC unit, participated in the Turnover Ceremony of General Ridgeway to General Gruenther.  Myrna returned to Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts in August 1954 and was discharged from the service at Camp Kilmer, NJ.

As a civilian, she worked for the 5th Army in Chicago in the communication center for two years, then with Time, Inc. in Chicago until 1960.  After a six-week vacation in Mexico City and surroundings, Myrna moved to San Diego, CA where she worked for the Navy Personnel Research Activity under the direction of Bernard Rimland, PhD.  While in California, Myrna attended San Diego State University, graduating with a BA in English Literature.  She returned to Minnesota and received her MS Library degree from Mankato State University in 1972.  From 1972 until 1993 Myrna was Director of the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Faribault.

Myrna loved her family, sketching, painting, playing tennis, bird watching, movies, books, playing chess, writing, her friends, her special friends Joni Kilde and Darlene Wendelschafer, laughing, and all animals… except maybe bears.

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