ABOUT WRIGHT CITY CEMETERY MEMORIAL SOCIETY

The Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society is one of the oldest civic organizations in the Wright City community. Its beginning traces back to August 30, 1888, when a group of ladies gathered to discuss the need to care for the city owned cemetery. The dozen women agreed to organize a Memorial Society to care for and beautify the “city of our dead”.

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The small but industrious group accomplished much in those early years – planting trees, shrubbery and flowers, and gaining community interest in the care of the cemetery. With the financial support of the community, the Society erected a concrete walk and bridge extending from the cemetery entrance to the top of the hill in the cemetery. The walk and bridge remain today along the west side of the main driveway.

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Besides soliciting donations, Society members also used their cooking talents to fund cemetery improvements. In July 1890, the women invited the public to an “ice cream festival” and served a variety of hand-churned ice cream. On Thanksgiving Day in 1898, Society members prepared and served an evening Thanksgiving dinner. Proceeds from the event financed construction of a fence around the cemetery.

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In 1923, the Society employed the first cemetery caretaker to mow the cemetery grounds, care for the sites of new burials and trim trees. The hiring of a caretaker was made possible by a $2.00 yearly assessment each lot owner was asked to pay. To provide a more consistent source of income, the Society established a plan in March 1936 whereby the Society agreed to guarantee the perpetual care of cemetery lots to those lot owners who deposited $100.00 in a perpetual care fund. The Society only had access to the interest earned from the perpetual care monies to pay for cemetery expenses. The perpetual care fund remains today as a funding source for cemetery maintenance. The City of Wright City, through passage of an ordinance, has oversight of the perpetual care fund, and all persons who purchase a gravesite in the cemetery pay a fee that is deposited in the fund.

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Membership in the Society rose to more than 40 women in the 1930’s and 40’s. The women met most months with the exception of winter. Members took turns hosting the meetings in their homes, and meetings ended with a social hour with the hostess serving home-made desserts, and for special occasions an entire luncheon.

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During the later years of the 20th century, while membership in the Society declined, the work of the Society continued. The small group of dedicated women worked diligently raising money to pay for the mowing and upkeep of the cemetery.

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As it approaches the 135th anniversary of its founding, the Society has been renewed and revitalized with a growing, enthusiastic membership. Today, there are approximately 25 Society members, and happily it includes both women and men. In 2019, the Society became an incorporated not-for-profit organization under Missouri statute and applied for and was granted 501 (c) (3) status by the Internal Revenue Service.