Donferd "Glen" Hughes

Donferd Glen Hughes passed away in his home at Grants Pass, Oregon on December 1, 2011.

Glen will always be loved and remembered as a devoted father, husband, son, brother, and community member. He lived his life with incredible strength, determination, and loyalty. He will be forever missed.

Glen was born on January 20, 1929 to Katherine and Odice Glen Hughes in Liberal, Kansas. As a boy Glen lived in Adams, Oklahoma and later moved to Turpin, Oklahoma where he graduated from high school and met Roberta whom he married August 25, 1951. Glen had enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Tampa, Florida. He was with the Strategic Air Command and was the crew chief of a B47 jet bomber. Leaving the Air Force to care for his paternal grandparents, he and Roberta moved to Canby, Oregon in 1953.

Glen served as a United Methodist minister for 28 years with churches in the Oregon communities of Clarkes, Monroe-Alsea, Cave Junction-Wilderville, and Myrtle Point. He would often reflect on his memorable years at each of his churches and how much he enjoyed his time in the ministry. During his years at Monroe, Glen was an active member of the volunteer fire department. While at Cave Junction, he and his congregation built a new sanctuary. In his stationary store and printing shop in Myrtle Point, Glen became an active member of the business community.

With the death of Roberta, Glen accepted a ministry in Myrtle Point. It was during this time that he married Sheryn and together they served the church and started the community business.
Upon his retirement from the ministry in 1987, Glen and Sheryn, moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. Glen continued his community involvement by joining the local Lions Club. He became an avid golfer and enjoyed his retirement years with family and friends.

Glen always had a love of music and community gatherings. With Sheryn’s passing, Glen became involved with a local square dance club and a bell ringing organization. It was at a Grants Pass square dance that he met Marcia Winter. They made a life commitment to each other and to God, family, and friends in a ceremony on July 6, 2001.

Glen is survived by Marcia, daughter Robbie Stillwell, son Mike Hughes, daughter Glenna Hughes and his grandchildren Acacia and Ezra. He is also survived by his sister, Myrna Haag.

He is preceded in death by his father Odice, his youngest son Mark, his wife Roberta, his mother Katherine, and his wife Sheryn.

For a more complete biography on Glen’s life and to sign the family guest book, please visit www.since1928hull.com.

A memorial service will be held at the Grants Pass Newman United Methodist Church on December 16, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.

Donferd Glen Hughes
January 20, 1929-December 1, 2011

Those who knew Glen can reflect on his many passions and his willingness to take on almost any project. Growing up on an Oklahoma farm, he became familiar with crops and machinery. He drove the local school bus while attending high school in Turpin, Oklahoma. Before entering the Air Force he drove a grain truck for Lights Grain & Milling Company and worked for Longbell Lumber Company in Liberal, Kansas. Glen was raised with a close family where Sunday suppers were the norm and family gathered from miles around. He had numerous uncles that he adored and they each played a significant role in his life as his father had died before he was born. When his mother, Katherine, remarried Bill Witzke Glen was blessed with a little sister Myrna whom he was extremely close to throughout his life. Myrna’s children, Randall, Susan, and Kendall were fond of their Uncle Glen and there are loving memories of time spent together. His family and extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins were important to Glen and in his retirement years he made every effort to be present at annual family reunions.

When the new Methodist minister moved to Glen’s home town of Turpin Oklahoma, he brought with him a daughter that changed Glen’s life. Roberta Hope Winkler became a high school classmate of Glen’s and they had many adventures together with mutual friends. Roberta’s mother once reminisced that her daughter had pointed Glen out and simply stated, “I will marry him one day.” They did indeed marry and together moved to Oregon to care for Glen’s paternal grandparents.

As he began his new life on his Grandparent’s farm in Canby Oregon, Glen worked for a small telephone company, Kraft’s Bakery, and later drove a cement truck for Hi-Way Ready Mix. Three of his children, Robbie, Mike, and Glenna were born during this time on the farm. Although Glen held other jobs, the love of farming was always in his life.

It was while he was a layman in the Canby Methodist church working with a youth group that he became interested in the ministry. When an opportunity for him to serve a congregation in Monroe and Alsea Oregon, Glen moved his family and began a new career in the ministry. Glen and Roberta would begin their Sundays with early services in Alsea and hurry back for a later service in Monroe. They traveled the windy road between the rural communities often with Glen receiving numerous citations for speeding as he juggled both church services. It was while he was in Monroe that he and Roberta welcomed their youngest son Mark making the Hughes family complete. It was also during this time that Glen attended Lane Community College in Eugene Oregon and traveled to Stockton California during the summer months taking classes in theology.

Glen was an active member of the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department and worked side by side with local men in their commitment to the community. He ruined numerous suits in his role as a fire fighter and enjoyed the camaraderie of the men he worked beside. Taking on an additional job, Glen also drove the local school bus. With one high school student suffering from a degenerative muscle disease, each day Glen would carry this boy into the bus then lift in the wheelchair, then reversing this process for the trip home. There were no expectations or accolades; this was simply Glen doing what he knew to be the right thing.

After serving this community for 8 years, Glen made the decision to move his ministry and family to Cave Junction, Oregon. It was there he worked closely with the help of numerous other members of the congregation building a new sanctuary which completed this church building. During the 1970’s this Southern Oregon community faced difficult times with the counter culture movement. Glen and Roberta consistently ministered to all even when this was not always the most popular choice amongst the community. Doing again what he felt was the right thing, Glen stood by his values and beliefs.

As before while at Monroe, Glen continued his many interests while he served his churches. At Cave Junction he rebuilt Mercedes Benz engines and began a small printing shop. In this capacity he was not only a local minister but a community business person. It was during these Cave Junction years that Roberta was diagnosed with cancer that took her life in March of 1979.

It was the Summer of 1979 that Glen chose to move to Myrtle Point and minister to that community. During this time, in June of 1980, Glen married Sheryn Gibbs. Glen and Sheryn then expanded the printing business and began a stationary store. Together they ministered to the United Methodist congregation and ran their businesses until they made the decision to retire in June of 1987. During their time in Myrtle Point, Glen’s youngest son Mark was diagnosed and died of leukemia.

With their marriage, Sheryn’s children welcomed Glen into their family where he shared many memorable events during the years together. With Sheryn’s passing of pancreatic cancer, Glen remained close with his extended family. He leaves behind Randy and Valerie Gibbs and their daughter Holly; Wayne and Nancy Gibbs and their children Cassandra and Kevin; Bruce Gibbs and his sons Winter and Brandon; Allan Gibbs and his children Greg, Scott, and Katie; Cynthia and Gary Munson and their sons Steven and Philip; and Donyne and Gary Bell.

Retiring and moving to Grants Pass, Glen continued his active involvement in community events by volunteering in the Lion’s Club and Community Concert committee work. At community fund raisers you could count on seeing Glen in the burger booth flipping burgers or taking orders. And each year when it came time to sell annual tickets to Community Concerts Glen would contact everyone on his list for their support.

It was at a local square dance class that Glen met Marcia Winter. Together they had mutual interests in bell ringing and golf which began their relationship. They made a life commitment to each other and to God, family, and friends in a ceremony on July 6, 2001. Glen leaves behind Marcia and his extended family, Marcia and Mike, Beth and Mason, and Rick.

He is preceded in death by his father Odice Hughes, his youngest son Mark Hughes, his wife Roberta Winkler Hughes, his stepfather William Witzke, his mother Katherine Hughes Witzke, and his wife Sheryn Gibbs Hughes.

Glen is survived by his children Robbie and Skip Stillwell, Mike and Linda Hughes, Glenna Hughes, and his grandchildren Acacia and Ezra. He is also survived by Myrna and Raymond Haag.

Glen made many lasting friendships throughout his life both within the ministry and in the community. There are numerous hunting, fishing, and golfing stories to be told – wonderful times with people he cared deeply about. He was a good friend to those that knew him, a wonderful partner to those that loved him, and a devoted father to the children that loved and looked up to him.