Ona Dorn

“Happy Trails to you; until we meet again..” “Happy Trails to you; Keep smiling until then..!” On December 20th, the Pearly Gates swung open wide and a beautiful denim and diamond cowgirl rode thru them and into the long awaiting arms of her Lord and Savior and the many loved ones who have gone before her! Ona Wright Van Dorn, gained her heavenly wings at the age of 96 years young! She was born on February 26, 1920, to Walter Marion Jones and Florence Davis Jones in Merkel, Texas. At a very young age, Ona started learning about the business world from her father, a very successful business man in his day. Ona honed all of his advice and lessons and used them to become quite the entrepreneur herself; in an era, when women were frowned upon in the business world. She married James Earl Wright and together, they owned and operated several businesses, one of these, as realtors at Chaparral Real Estate. Ona and “Big Jim”, as James was lovingly called, built and operated the Mott’s Restaurant and J J Dude Ranch in Annaville for 18 years, where it was an iconic restaurant where many famous country western musicians and actors/actresses, including the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Dale Robertson came to perform as well as enjoy the delicious homemade food. Weekends at the Mott’s Restaurant, would find reenacted full costume shoot’em up gun fights at the beautiful bar, complete with player piano and saloon girls! Ona had such vision, when it came to business and life and was way ahead of her time with her creative, successful ideas! During the era of the Mott’s and Dude Ranch, she fostered many young men, asking only that they either go to school and get an education or get jobs and better themselves. She was well loved by them all and several have kept up with her over the years. Ona’s next very successful entrepreneurial endeavor was to create triple decker sandwiches for her “Dude Ranch Boys” to take with them for their lunches. Many people began to notice these delicious sandwiches and started asking her to cater different functions and from this grew Chuck Wagon Food Service, one of the first businesses to sell packaged sandwiches in convenience stores! Ona also owned and operated along with her husband, Doug, Van’s Bar-B-Que originally established in Beeville, Texas, Oakville, Texas and also in Three Rivers, Texas. She loved the rustic, old west furnishings and atmosphere of the cowboy era. This component, along with delicious mouth watering brisket, ribs, beans and potato salad; as well as country breakfasts with homemade biscuits and red eye gravy, lead to Van’s being labeled one of the top Texas Bar-B-Que spots in Texas Monthly Magazine. One of Ona’s most enjoyable yearly outings was riding with the South Texas Trail Riders, which she and “Big Jim” formed in 1959! This group of trail riders is still in existence today; starting in Corpus Christi and traveling to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo! Ona was very fortunate to have been able to ride in almost every Trail Ride! She won numerous awards, from being crowned Trail Ride Sweetheart to Most Out Standing Female Rider to the Oldest Rider. If she would have written a book about her life experiences, it would still be on the best seller list today! To say she was a “Live Wire, Spit Fire, Never Say Die, Go Getter, would be an understatement! She believed in hard work, charity to those less fortunate, your word and a handshake, made up a contract and she never met a stranger! Ona was preceded in death by her husbands, James Earl Wright and Walter Douglas Van Dorn and her two precious children, James Lee Wright, and Mary Frances Wright Oliver. She is proudly survived by four grandchildren, her grandsons, Rod (Cindy) Oliver, Jim (Karen) Oliver, Wes Oliver and granddaughter Stacy (Dave) Lang. She is adored and survived by her six great grandchildren, Dr. Jarod (Dr. Cele) Oliver, Kay Lynn (Jason) Cohen, Ben, Elizabeth and Katie Oliver and Kaila Lang. Her great great grand twins, Jameson and Quinn Oliver held a very special place in her heart! Pallbearers privileged to carry her, to her final resting place are: grandsons- Rod, Jim and Wes Oliver, great grandson – Jarod Oliver, great grandson-in-law – Jason Cohen, great great grandson – Jameson Oliver and lifelong dearest friend – Terry Reicheh. Honorary pallbearers – South Texas Trail Riders, Salt Water Trail Riders, Tommy Humphrey, Jim Davis, Harlyn Goebel, trail boss- Arlis Young, Mule Wagoneers – Pat Dody and Virgil Culpepper. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. Tuesday December 27, 2016 in Sawyer-George Funeral Home. Graveside services will be conducted at 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, December 28, 2016 in Sandia Cemetery in Sandia, Texas with Ray Garcia and Dan Barrow officiating. Burial will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make donations to Ona’s favorite charities, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and South Texas Trail Riders Scholarship Fund. Earth’s Loss is Most Assuredly Heaven’s Gain!