It was Andy's wishes to be cremated. Burial of the cremains will take place prior to the memorial service Saturday at Rose Hill Cemetery in Shenandoah. There is no visitation.

Memorials are being directed to the American Legion Country Club Men's Golf Committee, The Greater Shenandoah Historical Society or to the First United Methodist Church of Shenandoah.

Andrew Taylor Wright, son of Joseph and Opal (Hammond) Wright, was born on February 19, 1925, in Kirksville, Missouri. He passed away on Tuesday, December 12, 2006, at Elm Heights Care Center in Shenandoah, Iowa, following a bout with cancer at the age of 81.

At a very young age, Andy was adopted from Stille's Osteopathy School. His early life was spent in Macon and Kirksville, Missouri before moving to Shenandoah as a sophomore in high school. Andy graduated from Shenandoah High School with the Class of 1943. Following high school he served in the U. S. Navy and traveled the world three times. He went through all the different canals and sea ports of the world. He lacked two weeks from being in the service a full three years. Following his discharge from the Navy, Andy was united in marriage to Marjorie Claire Groothuis on May 18, 1946, in Shenandoah, Iowa. Their first home in Shenandoah was located at 104 Willow Street. They later moved to their current residence at 1200 Sunset Blvd in 1953. Andy worked at Bloom's Hatchery in Shenandoah after his time in the Navy until attending Barber School in Des Moines, Iowa. He began barbering in Shenandoah in 1949, working for Hershel Boldra and Toby Carson. He opened his own barber shop in 1953, appropriately called "Andy's Barber Shop". Andy was a member of American Legion Post #88 for over 50 years. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge, B.P.O.E. #1122 in Shenandoah and the Shenandoah American Legion Country Club and a Life Member of the Greater Shenandoah Historical Museum. Andy enjoyed playing golf and traveling. He also enjoyed using his sense of humor to make people laugh with telling jokes as a favorite pass time of his. He loved reading bits of interest to his family and relating all the news of the town he learned from working in the barber shop.

Preceding Andy in death were his parents, Joseph and Opal; step-mother, Genevieve Wright; brothers, William Gross and Norman Wright; aunt, Clella Colville; sister-in-law Elfrieda Groothuis; and a nephew Jim Castle. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Marjorie Wright of Shenandoah, IA; son, Gary Andrew Wright and wife Nancy of Payson, AZ; daughter, Janet Anton and husband Kenny of Arvada, CO; four grandchildren, Brad Wright of Flagstaff, AZ, Karolina Wright of Austin, TX, Andrew Wright of Olathe, KS and Cori Anton of Arvada, CO; four great grandchildren, Blake, Molly, Eve and Mark; brother and sister-in-laws, Jo Wright of Beaufort, SC, Gwen Gross of Independence, MO, Albert Groothuis of Battle Creek, MI, and Don and Maxine Lewis of Arizona City, AZ; nieces and nephews, Carole, Linda, Julie, Tom, Randy and Helen, Christine, Meredith, William, John and Peter; other relatives and many friends.