Martha Anna Hughes

Martha Anna Hughes

1925-2016

Martha Anna Hughes was born at home in north east Edmond on March 15, 1925. She passed away in her sleep of advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease on Sunday, February 28, 2016 at The Fountains at Canterbury, Oklahoma City. She was 90 years old. Martha was the daughter of Dudley Dewitt and Anna Theresa Ellis. She grew up on a farm during the depression when times were hard. As the oldest child she looked after her younger brothers while her parents tended to the work on the farm, including gardening, milking, baking and canning. She is a graduate of Meridian eighth grade, attended Pleasant Valley school in Edmond and graduated Arcadia high school in 1943.

Immediately out of high school she joined thousands of other girls wanting to help the war effort and became “Rosie the Riveter”. Martha worked at the Douglas plant in Midwest City. She was a bucker who worked opposite the riveter as the crew assembled C-47 Skytrain Cargo planes for the war in Japan. Just as soon as the war was over, so were the jobs at the plant. She later worked for the Daily Oklahoman as a proofreader, for the Macklanburg – Duncan plant, and for the City Bus station café.

She was married to and divorced from Bernard Stiles. Together they had one daughter, Anna Sue Stiles Austin.

Martha later married Lloyd Hughes. They were married for 45 years before his passing in 2003. They resided in many locations including Laverne, Woodward, Maud, Bowlegs, but the majority of their life together was spent in the Seminole area where she has many lifelong friends.

A woman of many gifts and talents, Martha loved to cook and was good at it. In the 1960’s she and Lloyd ran the L & M Café in Bowlegs. Throughout her lifetime, Mrs. Hughes owned or managed several Cafés.

Over the years, she helped her husband run a bicycle repair shop, a mechanic shop and a number of used goods and swap-shop stores in the Seminole area. Several years during the summers they would travel from Texas to Wisconsin selling glassware and other goods on the county fair circuit.

Martha loved her blended family. Besides Martha’s daughter, Lloyd had three children from a previous marriage who they would guide and support as parents. They were also foster parents to several boys who they loved like their own children and who they kept in touch.

Preceding her in death are her parents Dudley and Theresa Ellis; her infant brothers Kenneth and Walter Ellis; her infant sister Opal Ellis; her husband, Lloyd Hughes; son, Rex Hughes; brother, Dewitt Ellis; Bernard Stiles; sister-in-law, Leigh Ellis.

Survivors include her daughter, Anna Sue Austin of Midwest City; her son Luther Cauldwell of Oklahoma City; her brother, Woodrow M. Ellis of Edmond; her daughter, Donna Stewart (Wesley) of Amarillo, TX; Loretta Jean Ronhounde of Amarillo; grandson, Mark Allen Austin (Christina) of Seminole; granddaughter, Jill Nunnelley, of Seminole; granddaughter Tonya Wren (Matt) of New Orleans, LA; Dean Hughes (Elaine) of Topeka KS; And great grandchildren Patrick Austin (and fiancé Nikki) of Seminole; Steven Austin of Seminole; Kaylee Grandstaff and Helen Nunnelley, both of Seminole; Brandon McGraw, Oklahoma City; Theron McGraw, Tecumseh; Haley and Cameron Hughes of Topeka, KS; Sister-in-law Roberta Ellis of Brookfield, Wisconsin. Along with many nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Loved by all who knew her, she will be missed by many relatives and friends.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2016 at Gracelawn Cemetery under the direction of Matthews Funeral Home of Edmond. A Memorial service will be held in Seminole on Friday, March 4th at 2:00 pm at the Swearingen Funeral Home.