Mother Grace Wright of Moberly, MO has gone home, leaving behind a circle of those who loved her.
These words are offered in her memory — small, but heartfelt.
Mother held deeply to the Baptist faith — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew her best.
Belief, when lived, becomes a kind of inheritance.
Grace Wright, 90, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at AdventHealth Hospital in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Her story began in July 1935 in Boone County, Missouri, where she was born to the late Thomas Edward and Laura Jane (Carter) Hatton. The lessons of resilience she learned as one of twelve children stayed with her throughout her life, creating a bridge from her early education at Grindstone School in Columbia, Missouri, to the expansive life she built for her family.
In Columbia, Grace met and married her first husband, James Fruttie Johnson. Together, they were blessed with ten children. Grace's dedication to her family remained her constant focus after relocating to Kansas City in 1972. There, Grace began a distinguished 23-year career of service to our nation's heroes. Starting in June 1972, she served as a dietitian at the Veterans Administration, committing herself to providing the nutritional care and support our veterans deserved until her well-earned retirement in 1995.
It was during her tenure at the Veterans Administration that she met her second husband, Donald Wright. Together, their roots of entrepreneurship grew deep as they owned and operated a boarding house and a laundromat. Whether she was providing a warm place to stay or clean clothes, Grace was a light to her community. While she spent her professional years focused on physical health and nutrition, she spent her life nourishing the soul. As an ordained pastor and a vital pillar of her church, Grace was a dynamic and fiery speaker. When she took the pulpit, her words carried a weight of conviction that moved hearts and inspired change. She held a special place in her heart for the next generation, often sharing words of wisdom and steady guidance to the youth to ensure they had a spiritual and moral compass to follow.
Even in retirement, Grace stayed active, taking on a paper route in Holts Summit and working at Scholastic to help provide books for children, continuing her lifelong mission of serving those around her. When she wasn't serving her community, she was a formidable presence at the card table playing Bid Wiz, enjoying a friendly round of checkers, or masterfully "owning Boardwalk" during family games of Monopoly. Grace also possessed an artistic side, which she expressed through her love of painting, gardening and tending to her flowers. She often expressed her immense pride in the legacy of her grandchildren. A matriarch in every sense of the word, she saw her own strength and determination reflected in their lives as entrepreneurs, real estate investors, business leaders, medical professionals, doctoral graduates, civil servants, tradesmen, administrators and educators (to name only a few of the many callings they have answered). Celebrating their milestones was important to her; she always made a way to attend her grandchildren's graduations, regardless of distance. Among her many joys was sharing meals with family and friends or attending family gatherings and reunions. Of all her many titles, Entrepreneur, Dietitian, Minister, Servant of God, and Veteran Supporter, her favorite was that of Mother and Grandmother. Her children and their families were her greatest joy and the true "cream of the crop" in her life. She poured her strength into her family, and her influence will continue to guide them for generations to come.
Left behind to cherish her memories are her three sons: James Johnson, Gary Johnson, and Jeffery Johnson; six daughters: Phyllis Herndon (Wayne), Sharon Johnson, Teresa Johnson, Marcia Seals, Carol Calhoun (Mack), and Donna Walker (Rico); and her brother, Roger Hatton. She leaves a vast and loving legacy through her grandchildren: Krishima, Jamon, Jamecia, Jharrie, Reione, Zhamarah, Jeffery Jr., Brooks, Faith, Matthew, Tiffany, Kenneth, Wajid, Rashid, Hamidah, Sajidah, LaTisha, Michael, Stevyn, Terry, Melissa, Steven, Deron, BreeAnn, Ronald, Brandon, Corey, Dana, Judah, Jacinda, Danielle, Jamie, Myles, and Kendall, as well as a whole host of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Grace was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Laura Hatton; her late husbands, James Johnson and Donald Wright; ten siblings: Archie, Tommy, Calvin, Billy, Johnny, Robert, Mary Elizabeth, Hazel, Evelyn, and Dorothy; her son, Charles; her grandson, Jason and great-grandsons, Brandon and Aaron.
The funeral services for Mother Grace Wright will be Thursday May 7,2026, 12 Noon at Second Baptist Church 314 N 5th Street, Moberly, MO 65270. Visitation 11am-12pm at the church. Interment Missouri Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Jacksonville, MO
