COLUMBUS
Ellen Rose Hughes, 84 of Columbus, IN and Venice, FL passed away June 17, 2020 at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana. She was born November 3, 1935 in Austin, Indiana to the late Marshall and Myrtle Gordon.
She was predeceased by her firstborn son Michael Francis Hughes who is buried in San Marcos, TX and Niece Tammy Robinson.
She married Francis Hughes August 12, 1956 in Scottsburg, IN. She is survived by her husband of 63+ years, Francis Hughes; son, Dr. Gordon Hughes (Jennifer) of Elkhart, IN; daughters, Wendy Kay Hughes (John West) of Long Island, NY and Lindsay McShane (John) of Cincinnati, OH; grandchildren, Michael Hughes of Philadelphia, PA, Sgt. Christopher Hughes of San Antonio, TX, Katharine Hughes of Indianapolis, IN, Molly McShane of Brooklyn, NY, and Megan McShane of Cincinnati, OH, brother, Marshall Gordon, Jr. (Patty) of Lutz, FL and their sons, Rick and Dustin Gordon.
After the children were all in school, she resumed her college studies and earned her BS in Education with Highest Distinction as well as her MS in Education from Indiana University. She then taught 19 years at Mt. Healthy Elementary in Columbus, IN. She served many years on the Negotiation Committee as a very active member of the Columbus Educators Association.
The entire family joined her husband for a year at the US Army War College in Carlisle, PA. the wives were very active and she became an authority on military protocol, wood carving, rug weaving/hooking and military history with many trips to Gettysburg battlefield. She became an expert on World War II in a class taught by Dr. Hal Deutsch, who had known Adolf Hitler personally.
In 1992, she was presented the Indiana Commendation Medal by the Adjutant General of Indiana for her outstanding work with counseling and caring for the wives of Indiana National Guardsmen who were deployed in Operation Desert Storm. She was also “forevermore distinguished by appointment to the General Staff of the Legion of Hoosier Heroines” by the Adjutant General of Indiana in 1992. The family would like to recognize the excellent care provided by Our Hospice of South Central Indiana and Keepsake Village of Columbus. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, 2020 with visitation starting at 10 a.m. at Gehlbach & Royse Funeral Home in Corydon, Indiana with burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana at 2626 17th Street, Columbus, IN 47201. Due to Covid 19 we are following State guidelines of only 65 people in the building and masks are recommended.
