Carol Sue Wright

Carol Sue Wright, formerly of Savanna, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2026, after a long battle with dementia. She was 83.

Carol was born the first of four children to Herbert and Grace (Meins) Harden on September 10, 1942, in Durham, North Carolina. With childhood homes in both Rock Falls and Sterling, Illinois, Carol graduated from Sterling High School in 1960. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and education in 1964 from Illinois State University. During her senior year at ISU, Carol met and fell in love with Gene Wright of Tampico.

Gene and Carol were married on July 9, 1965, and made their home in Savanna, Illinois where Gene was a junior high social studies teacher and Carol a high school math teacher. Together they had three children--Cheryl, Dean, and Lisa—and were married for 57 years until Gene’s passing in 2022.

In 1973, Carol earned her license to sell real estate and later earned her real estate broker’s license. She went on to purchase Melhus Realty and opened Wright Realty where she sold residential and commercial properties and managed rental properties in western Carroll County for more than 40 years.

In her younger years, Carol was a competitive volleyball player and bridge player. She enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren compete in sporting events, playing bridge and board games, travelling with friends, and spending time with her family at reunions and pool parties.

Carol was active in the Savanna business community for several decades and, later in life, assisted her husband Gene in the development of the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center.

Carol will be dearly missed by her daughter Cheryl (Brett) Lawson of Thompson, Illinois and their children--McKenzie (Tim) Morgan of Mt Carroll, Illinois, Ashlyn (Ryan) Williams of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, Trevor Miller of Savanna, Illinois, and Devon Lawson of Thompson, Illinois; her son Dean (Carrie) Wright of Pearl City, Illinois and their children--Madison (Peyton) Brudi of Freeport, Illinois, Bronte Wright of Chicago, Illinois, Riley Wright of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Sidney Wright of Pearl City, Illinois; her youngest daughter Lisa (Michael) Miller and their children--Harrison and Liam all of Genoa, Illinois; as well as her great grandchildren—Owen, Hattie, Maisie, Scarlett, and Camryn; and her best friends and sisters Anne Polzin of Sterling, Illinois and Janice Weber of Popular Grove, Illinois plus many nieces and nephews.

Carol was preceded in death by her husband Gene, her parents, her brother Richard Harden, and grandson Shawn Miller, as well as her in-laws Albert and Marie Wright; brothers-in-law Harold Wright, Roger Polzin, and Dennis Weber, and sister-in-law Sue Wright.

Services for Carol will be held on Saturday, August 29th at the Law Jones Funeral Home in Savanna with visitation beginning at 9 a.m., a funeral service at 11 a.m., and burial at the Spring Lake Cemetery south of Savanna immediately following the funeral service. A luncheon will be served at the Mt. Carroll United Methodist Church in Mt. Carroll, Illinois following the burial and committal service.