June Persons remembers when her sister and a girlfriend told her about this guy bagging groceries that they thought she should check out.

June said she really wasn’t looking, but the three girls somehow wound up at  the grocery store checking out the bag boy. Three days later, the bag boy called June for a date.

That led to a 58-year marriage that ended only because the bag boy, Ken Wright, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Checking out the grocery bagging guy also led to two sons, Keith Wright, married to Nicole, and Steve Wright, married to Heidi, and later, granddaughter, Hannah, 21, who is about to become a schoolteacher.

One son is in marketing in the Miami area. Ken and June loved to visit him in January, when Ohio winters are inhospitable.

Ken enjoyed traveling and had visited all 50 states with June.

Ken was New Processes Coordinator under Dick Coddington, who retired to Fripp Island, Georgia, during his 38 years at the BJ. Ken’s recent years were not pleasant, health-wise so his departure was not a surprise nor, considering the circumstances, without some relief.

As June said, “He’s with Jesus now.” Two nice guys in the same place. 

Ken and June were regulars at Grace Church in Norton, including the Bible Study Group for years.

Two printers, Dick Gresock and Al Hunsicker, were at Bacher Funeral Home in Norton for the calling hours.

Dick, who likes to hunt, and enjoys traveling to national parks, particularly in Arizona and Utah.

Al has been a Cuyahoga Falls resident for more than a half-century, before I came to the BJ in 1969 and moved into the Falls and even longer before Al’s daughter and my daughter attended Falls High School at the same time.

Pastor Bob Combs officiated at Saturday’s services. Private inurnment will take place at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman.