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Aletha Hughes
ALETHA E. HUGHES
Monticello
Aletha E. Hughes, 93, of Monticello, died Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, at the Anamosa Care Center. A visitation will be held from 3 to 7 pm Friday, Feb. 11, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Monticello. Visitation will continue Saturday, Feb. 12, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Kramer Funeral Home in Monticello. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Monticello. The 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 Jan. 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, Texas; 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 (Matt) Hughes, Austin Hughes, Dalton Hughes, Trevor (Rachel) Powers, Eli (fiancee Megan Ellison) Hughes and Zac Martinsen; and 25 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom, in 2001; a daughter, Gayle (Billy) Bleadorn, in 2010; and siblings, Helen Fullbright, Evelyn Takes, Marv (Vivian) Wagner and Guy (Marie) Wagner.
Memorials are preferred to Sacred Heart School in Monticello.
Information available at www.kramerfuneral.com.
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