Jane Marlene Hughes passed away at the age of 98 on January 4, 2021 of complications from Covid-19. She belonged to the greatest generation, having grown up during the Great Depression and WWII. She obtained her teaching certificate from Northwest Missouri State. Marlene taught kindergarten and second grade for many years, with her longest post held at Willow Grove School in Centralia. Marlene came from a family of teachers who placed great value on education and literacy. One of Marlene’s greatest joys was teaching her students to read and instilling in them a love of reading. Marlene was also a homemaker, wife, and mother of five children. She was a wonderful cook and hosted many memorable dinner parties. She had a lifelong passion for reading, history, and politics. She enjoyed travel, gardening, and most of all spending time with her family. She will be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and will be missed dearly.She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
A Family Celebration of Life and Inurnment will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made in Marlene’s honor to the Nature Conservancy or St Mary Catholic School in Mount Vernon.Call Newell Funeral Home at 618-246-0100 or visit newellfuneralhome.com for further information.
Marlene is survived by her children, Robert Hughes and wife, Beth, Martha Wade and her husband, Mike, Bill Hughes and his wife, Kristen, Mary Raney and husband, Tim; eight grandchildren; and twelve great-grandchildren.
Marlene was born on a family farm in northwest Missouri. Marlene was preceded in death by her parents; husband, William Hughes; and daughter, Ruth Ann Gartell.
