Marjorie Ann Hughes, age 85, of Hudson, WI, formerly of River Falls, died peacefully Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 at Christian Community Homes in Hudson, WI. Marge was born June 27, 1933, in Bird Island, MN to Genevieve Margaret (Grimes) and Hjalmer Carl Johnson. She grew up the only daughter among seven brothers on a soybean, corn and dairy farm and graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1951. After helping on the family farm for a year, she decided to take the civil service examination, which brought her to Minneapolis to work for the VA. In 1955, she began working as a secretary at the Air Force Base at Fort Snelling. This was where, in 1958, she met the love of her life, Kenneth Dean Hughes, who was a welder at the air base. They married in 1963 and lived in Minneapolis, then Burnsville before making their long-term home and raising their three children in River Falls, WI, along the St. Croix River.
Marge loved reading, gardening, bird watching, cooking, baking, antiquing, eating out at the restaurants she read about in the Taste section of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, having coffee with her friend Andrea, shopping at Goodwill and T.J. Maxx (her family renamed the store T.J. Marge) but most of all, she loved her six grandsons and one granddaughter. After her kids went to school, she became what she called “a food demo lady,” offering food samples at the local grocery stores in River Falls and Hudson. She was considered THE friendliest “food demo lady” there ever was! She was strong-willed, sweet, caring and funny, and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Marge is preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Kenneth Dean; parents, Genevieve and Hjalmer, brothers, Robert, Laurence, Dean, William, Ronald, Gregory; sister-in-law, Mary.
She is survived by her children, Kent (Kyrsten) Hughes of Amery, WI, Megan (Jim) Kerr of River Falls, WI, Brian (Lara) Hughes of St. Paul, MN; grandchildren, Croix, Kincaid, Michael, Joseph, Genevieve, Sam, Benny; brother, Steven (Val) Johnson of Mesa, AZ.
The family wishes to thank Fresenius Kidney Care and Christian Community Homes (CCH) in Hudson, WI for their exceptional care. Marge made very special and strong friendships with the staff and volunteers at both Fresenius and CCH.
A celebration of Marge’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in River Falls, with visitation one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will immediately follow the service at O’Connell-Benedict Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials preferred to the River Falls Public Library.
Services are entrusted to O’Connell-Benedict Family Funeral Home of River Falls, WI.
