Betty M. Hughes, 76, departed this life to be face to face with the Lord on June 22, 2008 at The Meadows.
Her life will be celebrated during a memorial service which will be held at Claybar's Funeral Home in Orange at 11 a.m., Thursday, June 26, 2008. Officiating will be Scott McIntosh of North Orange Baptist Church.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2008. Betty led a very full and active life.
A native of New Mexico, Betty was a member of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls as a youth and Order of the Eastern Star as an adult. She worked at Sandia Base, Albuquerque, where she had Atomic Energy Commission AEC Q-clearance highest possible for a civilian and won awards for her efficiency and for suggesting improvements to the work process. Betty was very active in the First Baptist Church of Albuquerque and, as a member of the Training Union, she met her future husband, William T. "Bill" Hughes. Their move to Orange was eventful as it coincided with the arrival of hurricane Audrey and her in-laws. A member of First Baptist Church of Orange, she frequently hosted parties for her Sunday School group and worked Vacation Bible School as well as Women's Mission Union WMU. Betty's dedication to her daughters was evident as she became a Blue Bird and Campfire Girl leader, organizing events and tours such as a tour of the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company in Orange. Additionally, she was a member of the PTA and a room mother at Little Cypress and Mauriceville schools. At First Baptist Church of Mauriceville, Betty was a Sunday School teacher and Training Union leader. To keep life interesting and fun, Betty and her family became members of the Fun Traveler's Club going camping every other month and at least one week during the summer. . Upon her husband's retiring, they moved to San Antonio for 10 years then returned to Orange where she enjoyed participating in Women on Mission and the senior's covered dish dinners at North Orange Baptist. Betty's green thumb has blessed many friends and acquaintances with her ability to grow a plant from cuttings & leaves. Strong and valiant with a sweet, gentle spirit who befriended everyone, she was a two time survivor of breast cancer. In 2003, she recognized symptoms which led to a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Upon receiving this news, Betty laid the foundation for how she wanted her medical care to be handled, both for early and late stages of Alzheimer's. She led a full life after being diagnosed and was able to live at home until 2 months before her passing on to be with her Lord.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, sister, and brother.
Those who will most cherish her memory are her husband William T. "Bill" Hughes; daughters, Kathleen Tandberg and husband James of Orange; Janette Hill and husband Jimmy of Dayton; grandsons Jason Hill
of Dayton and James Hill of Cleveland; one aunt, Grace Findley Martin of Littlefield, Texas.
The family wishes to extend special thanks to Dr. Chen-Hah, Dr. Achilles, Mrs. Pat Crawford, Dr. Yu, Dr. Bast at MD Anderson, the staff at The Meadows and Odyssey Healthcare Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in her name to: R.B. Thieme Jr. Bible Ministries, P.O. Box 460829, Houston, Texas 77056-8829 the source of our spiritual nourishment for nearly 40 years. Many Waters Mission, #3 Road 6820, Waterflow, New Mexico 87421 mission to Navajo Indians in the Four Corners region of New Mexico; Ricky and La Vern Sterling of Orange are missionaries at this mission.