Jonell Wright

Rockport, Texas

Jonell Fields Wright ‘Mother’ left for eternal paradise on August 17, 2022, in the loving presence of family at the age of 91.  She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Nina Fields.  Also, the one and only love of her life Johnny Wright, her daughter Donna Kay Wright-Jarrett (Robert), son Don Wright (Mary), grandson Derrick Wright Hanley, her brother J.D. Fields, sisters Evelyn Fields Hull, Betsy Fields Kinsel, Nina Ann Fields and nephews Jamie Fields, Jeffrey Fields, Charles McLead and Duncan Cady as well as her best friend of 70 years, Val Jean Eaton.   ‘Mother’ is survived by three daughters: Wanda Wright, Martha Wright Westmoreland (Jimmy), and Patsy Wright Balcom (Paul), brothers Robert (Violet) Fields, Donnie (Dorothy) Fields, and sisters Patricia Cady, Alice (Rocky) Burrows and grandchildren Dana Hill, Dina (Cody) Hill, Dafne (Jack) Dowdy, Devon Weldon, John Thomas Wright, Donnie (Tracy) Wright, Judy Wright-Hanley, Byron (Jennifer) Wright, Michael (Heather) Bohn, Donny Nesloney, Darenger (Lori) Nesloney, Vanessa (Josh) Garcia, and Kalani (Derek) Buck

Jonell was born in Prairie Lea, TX on March 26, 1931 and grew up about 10 miles away in Kingsbury, TX.   She talked about a wonderful childhood there and made many trips back over the years.   She showed us where she won the Betty Grable legs contest when she was 15.  The attire was knee-high shorts.

She moved to Rockport in 1948, met and married Johnny Wright in 1949.  Together they raised four girls and a boy in a happy loving home.  She loved her role in life raising and caring for her family.   We had a lot of fun times.  She was blind in one eye but could outshoot any one of us.  Our dad would take her to hunt geese before Christmas, and she never came home empty handed.  She even got two with one shot one year.

She played softball with the Rockport Merchanettes from 1949 to the mid-fifties.  She wore moccasins and could run like the wind.  Her friend and teammate, Lola Bonner, said Jonell was the best base-stealer on the team and she could slide to home plate standing up in those moccasins.

Jonell was a lifelong dedicated Christian and a member of the Church of Christ congregation since 1949.  Her last position was secretary of the church for several years before finally retiring at 82 years old.  She loved playing dominos every Friday with her lady church buddies.  She was pretty good at it too!

‘Mother’ loved the holidays and get-togethers with her kids and grandkids, and she loved to go camping, family reunion.  She never said a swear word unless you count “durn” or “shinola”.  She enjoyed gardening, birding, and the bay.  She loved the bay - it reminded her of Johnny.

‘Mother’ was a wonderful, sweet, humble, strong-hearted, and generous woman.  We were raised right with love.

She will be missed forever here until we meet her there.

Services will be held Monday, August 22, 2022 at 1pm - Charlie Marshall Funeral Home, Rockport, TX.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.  Graveside to follow immediately after.

Pallbearers:  Michael Bohn, Cody Hill, Darenger Nesloney, Donny Nesloney, Donnie Wright, John Thomas Wright

Honorary Pallbearers:  Paul Balcom, Jimmy Westmoreland