Martha Lou (Thornton) Hughes

Martha Lou Hughes, 93, of Decatur died peacefully in her home on Thursday, July 23, 2015. Memorial services will be held 2:30 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Brian Bosworth officiating.

Honorary Pallbearers include Tom Steffen, Brock Smith, J.E. Carson, David Dodson, Gary Cocanougher, Chuck Heaberlin, Jim Richards, and Eric Vincent.

She was born Martha Lou Thornton on Nov. 18, 1921, in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to Alma Caldwell and Emmett Thornton, a former county attorney for Hopkins County.  She was the second child of four, having an older brother Dozier and younger sisters Mary and Carolyn, all of whom preceded her in death.

Following her primary and secondary schooling in Sulphur Springs, Martha attended North Texas State Teachers College (now University of North Texas) and obtained her degree in library science in 1943.  While in school, she met William Augustus “W.A.” Hughes Jr. and, following his naval service in the South Pacific during World War II, they married in 1945.

The couple moved to Waco, Texas, where W.A. completed his law degree at Baylor University and Martha worked at the Waco Public Library.  Although that marked the end of her “paid” career as a librarian, she continued as a professional librarian for 48 years as a volunteer, driving the start of the First United Methodist Church Library in 1959 and Decatur Public Library in 1967.  In addition to full-time service as the volunteer librarian from 1968 to 1976, Martha continued weekly volunteer work Mondays until her death.

In addition to Martha’s volunteer work, she was an avid gardener and a “ready-to-go” traveler enjoying many trips throughout North America, Eastern and Western Europe, Central and South America, Russia, Africa and Australia.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, William A. Hughes, on Jan. 6, 1989; a son, Carter C. Hughes, on Sept. 11, 1996; a brother, Dozier Thornton; and two sisters, Mary Pearce and Carolyn Murray.

Left behind to cherish her memory are: her son, Dan T. Hughes of Fort Worth;daughter in law, Becky Hughes of Denton, Texas, and two grandchildren, Gus Hughes of Denton, Texas, and Nelan Hughes of Taylors, S.C.

There is no set family visitation, but Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home in Decatur will be open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.

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