Marilyn Wright Powers contributed the following photo of her great-grandparents, George Washington and Mary Elizabeth (Nichols) (White) WRIGHT.
"Here is a picture of Mary Elizabeth Nichols White and George Washington Wright. (Mary had briefly been married to a fellow named White). She had a son, believe it was William but don't quote me on this right now. The baby was born in June 1856 and her husband fell thru the ice and drowned that winter. George and Mary were married the following April 1857 in Jackson, Minnesota (I think). George raised that son as his own. I understand that George was a real gentle soul and that everybody loved him. Apparently he liked animals as he is holding a cat in his arms.
"My father told me that George was doing some repairs to his house and fell off his ladder. Not sure if he was carried in or walked into the house but he died three days later. Before he died he had Mary get the neighbor to come over and shave him as he supposedly said a live person is easier to shave than a dead one. I hope the neighbor only trimmed his beard. I think that beard is great, as the Wright brothers (George's siblings) all wore beards (there were at least four brothers that made it past middle age)."