Obituary of Aletha Elizabeth Hughes

MONTICELLO, IOWA

Aletha E. Hughes, 93, of Monticello died Monday, February 7, 2022, at the Anamosa Care Center.

A visitation will be held from 3 – 7 pm Friday, February 11, 2022, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Monticello.  Visitation will continue Saturday, February 12, 2022, from 9 – 10 am at Kramer Funeral Home in Monticello.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Monticello. Aletha’s funeral will be broadcasted on Kramer Funeral Home Facebook page live at 10:30. Rev. Paul Baldwin will officiate.  Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Monticello.

Aletha was born January 15, 1929, in Temple Hill, Iowa the daughter of Pete and Lizzie (Mootz) Takes.  She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Cascade and earned her teaching certificate at the University of Dubuque.  She taught at Pleasant Hill and Castle Grove Schools.  Aletha married Tom Hughes on January 4, 1950, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Temple Hill.  She enjoyed being part of Tom’s racing career and claimed many victories of her own on the track.  Her first win was at Tunis Speedway in Waterloo, Iowa in Tom’s 1957 Ford Fairlane.  She was always there to cheer on her children and grandchildren who inherited the love of the sport.  She always had a large garden and canned all summer long.  Raising 13 children, Aletha was an excellent example of hard work and honesty, showing her children that they could achieve anything with a good work ethic.  She was a Tupperware dealer for many years and enjoyed all the new friends she made while being involved with Tupperware.  She was an excellent cook and started the tradition of having a Christmas cookie bake with her grandchildren and continued the tradition with her great grandchildren.  She was a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Church.  She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Aletha is survived by her children: Russ (Danica) Hughes, Al Hughes, Gus Hughes, Don “Red” (Joyce) Hughes, Mary Hughes, Jann (Terry) Turnis, all of Monticello, Lois Hughes of North Liberty, Rich (Suzy) Hughes of Delhi, Rob Hughes and Gary Hughes, both of Monticello, Diane Hughes of Anamosa and Lisa (Adam) Gonzales of Austin, TX; grandchildren: Jen (Reggie) Hosier, Mikki (Craig) Manternach, Angie (Tim) Fangmann, Jess Hunter, Justin (Stacy) Hunter, Jalyse (Ryan) Schwahl, Shannon (Brant) LeGrange, Jason McElmeel, Luke (Diane) McElmeel, Nic (Michelle) McElmeel, Alexis (Jon) Entringer, Travis (Katie) Hughes, Nikki (friend Matt Winnekamp) Hughes, Austin Hughes, Dalton Hughes, Trevor (Rachel) Power, Eli (fiancé Megan Ellison) Hughes and Zac Martinsen; 25 great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Tom, in 2001, a daughter Gayle (Billy) Bleadorn in 2010; siblings: Helen Fullbright, Evelyn Takes, Marv (Vivian) Wagner and Guy (Marie) Wagner.

Memorials are preferred to Sacred Heart School in Monticello.