Erskine Dale Hughes

Erskine Dale Hughes, 77, of Silver Lake, passed away Saturday, December 13, 2008.

He was born May 2, 1931 in Huntington, West Virginia, the son of Reginald Odell and Zeria Angeline (Morrison) Hughes. He attended Hite Elementary and Barboursville Junior High School in the Huntington, WV area. At age 19 he was drafted into the Korean Conflict in January 1952. He was shipped to Austria with the Army 63rd Signal Corp. At that time Austria was considered the back door to Korea. After returning home, he remained in the Army Reserves for 6 years. In 1954, under the G.I. Bill of Rights, he registered to attend God's Bible School in Cincinnati, OH where he finished his high school requirements in 1956. On June 16, 1957 in Kewanee, IL he married Almina June Lussenhop. They continued thier education in the college department where together they graduated from G.B.S. in May of 1960.

In the fall of 1960, he took a teaching job at Kirksville Bible School, Kirksville, MO, where he taught and was superintendent from 1960-1965. While in Kirksville, he received a B.S. in Education and also a Masters in Education. During the summer of 1965, he and Almina moved to Overland Park, KS where their son, Robert Kline Hughes was born. In Overland Park, he taught at Kansas City College and Bible School in Social Studies for 8 years. In 1972, he pursued a Master's Degree in Library Science where he and Almina received their Master's Degree in August of 1973. Upon graduation he secured a position at Pratt Community College as Library Director where he remained for 24 years prior to retirement. At this time the family resided in Preston, KS where they built themselves a new home. In 1999, he and Almina moved to Silver Lake, KS where they still reside.

Erskine leaves to mourn his wife of 51 years, Almina; his son, Robert, wife Debra (Brown); granddaughter, Laura Beth and grandson, David Alan. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Wyatt, Vernon, and Carlos. He is survived by brothers, Donald of Overland Park, KS, Forest of Waverly, WV, Steve of Culloden, WV and sisters, Mary Faulkner (Wendell) of Culloden, WV and Marie Dunlap (Tom) of Portsmouth, VA and sisters of Almina's, Illene Bender of Plainfield, IN, Donna Motley of Junction City, KS, and Mary St. John of Manhattan, KS; many nieces, nephews and loyal friends.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 19, 2008 at the Fairlawn Heights Wesleyan Church, 5400 S.W. Huntoon, Topeka, KS 66604. Interment with military honors will be at Silver Lake Cemetery, Silver Lake, KS. Mr. Hughes will lie in state after 3 p.m., Thursday at the Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home, 1321 SW 10th, Topeka, where the family will receive friends from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Hospice, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, KS 66606 or to Fairlawn Heights Wesleyan Church.