John Elmer Hughes
John Elmer Hughes, 88. Of Paynesville died Monday, Feb. 12, 2018 at the Sugar Creek Assisted Living Home in Troy.
Funeral services were at noon Friday at Collier Funeral Home in Louisiana. The Rev. James Haley officiated. Burial was at Greenwood Cemetery near Clarksville.
Visitation was held from 11 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Friday at the funeral home.
He was born March 10, 1929, in Paynesville to the late John Baptist and Blanche Houston Hughes. After both of his parents died, John, his bother, Clyde, and two sisters, Gussie and Leota, were raised by his grandmother, Susiana Harris Houston and his grandfather “PaPa” Lorenzo Dove Ranzel Houston.
John helped with the farm work and did labor work. John Elmer moved the family from Paynesville to Springfield, Ill., around 1953. He went to work for Allis Chalmers, later known as Fiat Allis, where he retired after more than 30 years of employment.
After retirement, John thought he would give farming another chance. He returned to Paynesville, purchased land adjacent to the homestead, a mobile home and a couple of cows.
After one of his cows was hit by a car, he decided the cattle part of living in the country was not for him. John eventually purchased the land where he grew up, and he put a new mobile home on the property.
Every Memorial Day all of the family would return to Paynesville for a weekend of fun, laughter, storytelling and fellowship. The land was filled cars, a motorhome, pop up camper and tents; long tables were lined with delicious foods. At these gatherings, not only did his children call him “Daddy,” but his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren all affectionately called him “Daddy”. His nieces and nephews all call him “Uncle John Elmer”.
John was a member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Paynesville, Missouri.
John was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Steven Ray Hughes, two sisters, Gussie Bell Anderson and Leota Johnson, one brother, Lorenzo Clyde Hughes, and former wife, Julia Mae Hughes.
John leaves to cherish his memory, four sons, John Jr. of Springfield, Ill., Dennis of Westminster, Colo., Dana and wife, Bobbie of Aurora, Colo., and Derek and wife, Janice of Chatham, Ill.; nine daughters, Edna Lewis, Virginia Douglas and husband, Clark Douglas, Jan Borders and husband, Purnell, Fayetta Clemmons and husband, Michael, and Linda Kay Barnwell and husband, Steve, all of Springfield, Ill., Blanche Abernathy and husband, Carle of Aurora, Colo., Sandy Hearn and husband, Robert of Smyrna, Ga., Wandra Cruz and husband, Tim of Decatur, Ill., and Cynthia Bowie and husband, Paul of Clinton, Md.; 29 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren; cou-sins, Alphonso Webb of Paynesville, and Joyce Chambers and husband, Lee of Denver, Colo., and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends.
Memorials may be given to the Bethel A.M.E. Church in Paynesville, c/o the funeral home.
