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Hughes, Alma Irene
Alma Irene Hughes, 80, formerly of Tipton, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009, at the Mechanicsville Nursing and Rehab Center. A visitation will take place Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Fry Funeral Home, Tipton. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with Pastor Dan Merchant officiating. Burial will be at Tipton Masonic Cemetery.
Alma is loved and survived by her daughter, Erleen (Bill) Fankhauser of Tipton; granddaughters, M. Lynne (Leon) Blaisdell of Goodlettsville, Tenn., and Melissa (Ethan) Kroemer of Tipton; great-grandchildren, Isabel and Andrew Kroemer of Tipton; son-in-law, Donald H. Gage of Hendersonville, Tenn.; and special friend, Harold Eiler of Tipton.
Daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, grandma, Nana, and friend, Alma will be missed by all who knew and loved her. She went home to be with those preceding her: husband, James O. Hughes; daughter, Linda Irene Hughes; mother, Nadine Belcher; father, George W. Belcher; sisters, Georgia and Nancy; and brother, Robert.
She was lovingly cared for by the Mechanicsville Nursing Home staff and volunteers for the last year of her life.
Alma was born in Allendale Lake, Mo., on Jan. 5, 1929. She was raised in Redondo Beach, Calif., where she met and married James Hughes on May 25, 1947. Together they raised their family in Lakewood, Calif. They later moved to Bloomington and in 1984, began assisting in raising grandchildren, M. Lynne and Melissa. In 1993, after the passing of daughter Linda, Alma moved with the grandchildren and joined the Tipton community, living across the street from daughter Erleen.
Alma loved serving others and began working at the age of 8 at a nearby funeral home. She later was employed as a waitress. She left school to work in the Long Beach Shipyards during World War II. Alma later worked at North American on the NASA Mercury and Apollo projects.
Alma touched the lives of all of those she met. She knew when others needed comfort and was always ready with a hug. Even in the twilight of her life she continued to touch those around her. We love you and know you're home.
Memorial may be made to the Iowa City Hospice or Tipton Senior Center.
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