Tula married Cecil Hughes in 1935. Tula and Cecil raised their 4 children on a farm northwest of Weaubleau. She later moved to Warrensburg, Missouri where she was employed by Central Missouri State University for 15 years as House Mother where she earned the loving title of “MOM Hughes” . Upon retirement, Tula moved to Lowry City, Missouri where she continued to work with the Green Thumb agency. In 2000 she moved to Wheatland, Missouri to be closer her family. She was a member of the Lowry City Baptist church.
Tula Hughes was born on December 7, 1917 in Collins, Missouri to Benjamin and Josie Wingfield. She passed away on November 14, 2009 in Hermitage, Missouri at the Hermitage Care Center.
If you were to ask any of the children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren what was so special about “Granny” each would tell you that she put special care and love into each individual relationship. With her special hugs and pats on the back, her contagious laugh, occasional joke and her famous and world renowned “granny buns”. A’batch” of buns were carefully mixed, kneaded and baked for each household for special occasions or just because. There would always be a scramble to eat them hot out of the oven and sometimes a little teasing about who would get to eat the middle ones. Grandma would bake homemade cakes, sometimes from scratch and sometimes she would just scratch the box and say there I made that one from scratch!
Tula is preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin and Josie Wingfield, Cecil Hughes, son; Dennis Hughes, brother; Ernest Wingfield, three sisters; Jewel Keller, Mert Hughes and Lena Hughes.
Survivors include her son, Vince Hughes of Humansville; two daughters, Betty Pearson of Wheatland and Donna Dempsey of Elkton; twelve grandchildren; twenty-four great-grandchildren; fourteen great-great-grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephews
Tula’s smile lit the world with happiness and joy, each hug or pat on the back was an event to remember and blessed each life she touched. She was joy and a treasure. She is a child of God and the Love of the Lord shown through her. We would reach out our arm for grandma to hold as she walked, and now it is time for us to let go and release her to the arm of Jesus. She told us she would see us again and until that day she will be deeply missed.
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