Thomas "Tommy" Edwin Hughes ... Age 71

Visitation 5 - 8 PM Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
Service 10:30 AM Thursday, April 12, 2018 at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
Burial Osawatomie Cemetery
Memorials are to:  Tommy Hughes Memorial Fund
and may be sent c/o:  Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430 Osawatomie, KS 66064

Thomas “Tommy” Edwin Hughes age 71 of Mulberry, Kansas was called to family and friends in heaven on April 7, 2018.  He was born to Benjamin and Maxine (Odor) Hughes on January 3, 1947 where he lived and grew up in Osawatomie, Kansas.  His parents owned the salvage yard where he learned to work on vehicles.

Tommy loved to play pool if it meant skipping school.  He started playing about the age of ten. His son-in-law nicknamed him “FATS”.  He also skated at Osawatomie Roller Rink and became floor guard at the age of 8.  He also worked at Paola Roller Rink where he met his wife Betty Lawrence of 50 years.

He worked for Interstate Motor Freight plus other truck lines.  He was a member of Local 41 Teamsters.  He loved to go fishing and camping and they would load up the camper and head for Grand Lake.  Where they would fish and party just about every weekend, wonder someone didn’t drown from the shenanigans they pulled.

Then they would go on a 2 week vacation.  Usually the kids would have the next year vacation planned before they got home.  They showed them around 25 states and they rode in the camper, boy it sure different now.

For 21 years in Coffeyville, Kansas Tommy and Betty would host a music jam called Hughes & Friends Old Time Pickin and Grinnin then they had to move to Humboldt, Kansas.  Till Tommy couldn’t do it anymore Plus they had one in LaCygne, Kansas too.  Tommy couldn’t play music but he loved to meet and help people sit up these campers if needed.  They met a lot of people.  He belonged to Arkansas Fiddlers; Oklahoma Fiddlers; Bentonville Music.

Tommy’s other passion was BBQ-ing at the music jam and at home.  He taught his kids to BBQ.  The kids and grandkids all asked for his pickled eggs and sausage.  One time he wrecked his moped at Coffeyville kicking at a bunch of dogs he laid it over.  Plus he took a few for some wild rides on it too.  The older grandkids remember him always saying “I’m going to kick your tail” which he never did.  He had a true pet dog named “Barkie”.  She would be with him and follow him around people said she looked like a pot belly pig.  You always knew where either one was at she was there waiting on them.

Tommy is preceded in death by his parents and brothers Robert Hughes, Ronald Hughes, Louis Hughes, Richard Hughes and Martin Hughes and granddaughter Ashley VanNorman and son-in-law Rick McPhail.

Tommy leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Hughes, of the home; two sons:  Perry (Lisa) Hughes, of LaCygne, KS and Jason Hughes also of LaCygne, KS; two daughters:  Loretta Johnson-McPhail of Mulberry, KS and Jody (Willie) Burns of Trimble, MO; two brothers:  Donald Hughes of Spring Hill, KS and James (Linda) Hughes of Camdenton, MO; 15 grandchildren: Shawn Hughes, Nicole Fink, Emily VanNorman, Nathan VanNorman, Brittanie Johnson, Brandon Johnson, Apachelynn Severance, Ashley Hughes, Bailey Hughes, Jennifer Dunn, Shaun Ackerson, Bryce Ackerson, Brianna Ackerson and Jason Teeple; 17 great-grandchildren along with many other whom he was known as grandpa to and other friends and family.