Edna Mae Wright

Edna Mae Sanders was born on June 6, 1927, to the union of Deacon Romey Franklin Sanders and Pearlie Mae (Turner) Sanders. She was the youngest daughter of eight (8) children: Five brothers -Zebedee, Adolphus (A. D.), Worthy, Albert, and Lawrence and two sisters - Mattie and Rosetta. All her siblings have preceded her in death except her younger brother, Albert. Their family spent her early childhood in Blytheville, Arkansas where they worked as sharecroppers. It was hard, honest work, where they grew their own vegetables, tended chickens, pigs, and a cow. In addition to maintaining a farm, they also picked cotton - which Edna said she never quite mastered as well as her older siblings. They were a devout, close-knit, God-fearing family.

Edna had a unique bond with her sisters, Mattie and Rosetta, and when they moved to St. Louis, MO in 1941, she followed soon after. It was there that she met the “love of her life”, William Wright, and they were married December 25, 1947, by the late Rev. Edgar W. Warfield at First Free Will Baptist Church, where they remained faithful members their entire lives. During Edna’s 75-year tenure, she served as a Preschool Sunday School teacher, Women’s Group Leader and Chairperson, and one of the BEST bakers Free Will had ever seen. Whenever the church had bake sales to raise funds (which was often), Edna would begin baking cakes and pies two to three weeks in advance, in order to fulfill all the requests she would receive. And she ALWAYS made sure to prepare desserts at home for her family – her #1 pride and joy. In fact, Edna’s life revolved around her husband, William (deceased), and children: Daughter – Ella; Sons – William Jr., Antar, and Adrian, who became her Primary Caregiver the last ten years of her life.

Her early education took place in Arkansas and after moving to St. Louis, she attended Hadley Tech for one year. Edna worked as a laundress until she was married and then became a “stay at home” Mom with the three older children for several years. Eventually she decided to take a job at a chicken processing plant and worked there until Adrian was born. After another break of about two years, she was employed by a pharmaceutical company where she worked as a pill inspector for twenty-three (23) years until she retired. Edna was a very dedicated, strong-willed person, and she learned how to drive a car in her sixties when her husband was no longer able to do so. Her participation in church continued until her health began to fail in recent years. She was called home to glory on Saturday, January 7, 2023.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her younger brother Albert Sanders (Sedalia) of El Centro, CA, a sister-in-law Kathlyn Sanders of El Centro, CA, her four children: Ella M. Wright of St. Louis, MO, William Wright Jr. (Gale) of Las Vegas, NV, Antar Basin Saleem of Weyerhaeuser, WI, and Adrian A. Wright of St. Louis, MO; five (5) grandchildren: LaTonya Austin (Michael) of Argyle, TX, Anthwaune L. Greene of Las Vegas, NV, Airrion W. Wright of Las Vegas, NV,  Joshua H. Saleem (Taylor) of St. Louis, MO, and Ameerah Saleem of Troy, MO; 10 (ten) Great-grandchildren; 2 (two) Great-great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, great-cousins, and friends.

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