April 1, 1920 - Feb. 21, 2013
ELKHART - Margaret R. "Sunny" Hughes, 92, of Elkhart, passed away Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, at Eastlake Terrace.
She was born April 1, 1920, in Shipshewana to Charles and Florence (Weaver) Sunthimer.
She married Charles E. Hughes on Aug. 13, 1942.
Surviving are a daughter, Charlene (Tom) Helfrich of Elkhart; a son, John (Karen) Hughes of Edwardsburg, Mich.; four grandchildren, Jennifer Hughes, Megan Haldie, Jeff Hardy and Jon Hardy; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Judge Charles Hughes, on June 11, 1990; and her sister, Jessie Schnoebelen, on Feb. 3, 2012.
Margaret was a homemaker and well known for her cooking skills, and she loved entertaining family and friends. Besides cooking, Sunny loved to sew, garden and quilt. She spent many years in service/volunteer organizations, including the Rehabilitation Center, Church Community Services and Council on Aging, which included Meals on Wheels and volunteer driving, for which she was honored as Volunteer of the Year. She was inducted into the Alpha Rho chapter of the Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority in 1954, and served as president in the 1990s. She was a member of First Congregational Church for 50 years and a recent member of Trinity United Methodist Church.
In an "interview" with her granddaughter in April of 1992, she was quoted as saying: "The best life a person can have is being a good person or friend, go to church and help others." The family wants to especially thank the caring staff at Eastlake Terrace, Harbor Lakes Hospice and her caregivers/companions from Home Instead.
Visitation for Margaret will be for one hour prior to the 11 a.m. service Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, at Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home, Elkhart. The Rev. Karen Bray will officiate. Burial will follow in Rice Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Elkhart County Women's Shelter or the Humane Society of Elkhart County. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.stemmlawsonpeterson.com.