Ursula Helena Wright
Ursula Helena Wright, age 85, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, at Manor House in Knoxville. She was married to Glenn E. Wright, M.D., a prominent local psychiatrist, for 45 years, until his death in 2001. Ursula was devoted to her husband, her children and her faith. Ursula was born in Beuthen, Germany, in the Prussian province of Upper Silesia on August 8, 1927, to Anastasia Bulla and Franz Wodniok. She is one of six daughters, one who survives and lives in Erlangen, Germany. She met Glenn at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany where they both worked. They subsequently married in 1955 and had the first four of their seven children while Glenn attended medical school in Frankfurt. They moved back to the states so that Glenn could complete his internship and settled in Knoxville, where Ursula has lived and raised their children and grandchildren for 51 years. The Catholic faith was central to her life. During her years in Knoxville she was a member of Sacred Heart Cathedral, St. John Neumann Catholic Church and, for the last 10 years, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Alcoa. She was very accomplished musically and enjoyed singing in the church choir and played the very complex church pipe organ for numerous years. She was a member of the Ladies of Charity and served as president in 1994. Her devotion to the Virgin Mary was life-long, and she went on numerous pilgrimages throughout Europe to visit religious shrines devoted to Mary. Ursula was an avid and accomplished gardener. She was a past member of the Tennessee Rose Society in Knoxville and decorated her lovely homes and church altars with the beautiful roses she had grown. She was amazingly talented with knitting and crocheting, and created exquisite layettes for hospital newborns. Ursula is probably best known for her wonderful cooking. Friends and family were treated for years to her fabulous German dinners and desserts. In 1982, she and Glenn opened Ursula’s German Restaurant on a site close to the Great Smoky Mountains that was designed by William Denton, Jr., the architect and planner of the Sunsphere. She had been collecting German recipes by the hundreds and the restaurant reflected the best in German cooking. She is survived by her seven children and 20 grandchildren including: Ursula Jenkins, Ariane (Joe) O’Connor, Gisela (Richard) Goldstein, Susie (Peter) Hempenstall, Andrew (Elizabeth) Wright, Frank (Lisa) Wright and Melissa (Andy) Sonner. Her 17 grandchildren include: Brandon, Brett (Kayla), Alex, Kristin, and Caroline O’Connor; Caroline, Phillip, and Albert Goldstein; Sarah and George Hempenstall; Matthew and Luke Wright; Robert, Lauren and Michael Debusk; Jake, Sam, and James Wright; and Elizabeth and Alex Sonner.
She is the devoted aunt of Michael Wodniok, Joachim Kozok and Sylvia Larkin. Ursula brought happiness to all who knew her and she will be greatly missed by her family and numerous friends. The family wishes to thank all the staff and friends at Manor House for the love and compassionate care she received while there. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Friday, November 30, 2012, at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel, 6200 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. A funeral mass will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 1, 2012, at Sacred Heart Cathedral, with Father Ragan Schriver officiating. Burial will follow in the Highland Memorial Cemetery off Kingston Pike, Knoxville. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel, online condolences may be made at http://www.rosemortuary.com
