Hughes, Robert W. Rev. 1841 - 1912

HUGHES, DAVIS, WILLIAMS

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:24

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 26, 1912, P-FP, C-5

Death of Reverend Hughes.
Rev. Robert W. Hughes died in Lime Springs Tuesday evening. Rev. Hughes came to Lime Springs in the sixties. He began his ministerial career here. He has spent most of ministerial life in Iowa; for nine years he was state agent for the Bible Society. He expected to preach one week ago last Sabbath but was taken suddenly ill and never recovered. He is 70 years of age. He leaves a wife, two sons, Dewitt, who lives on a farm north of town, Hugh, who is in the post office in Burlington, and Lillian, who is the wife of Rev. Davis. The funeral will be held Friday afternoon from the Welch church.

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 30, 1912, P-LP, C-7

OBITUARY.
Robert W. Hughes was born in Wales, Dec.21, 1841. He lost his father when two years and a half old, and next year his widowed mother with four children came to this country with relatives and friends, and in about two years was married again to the Rev. J. D. Williams, settling on a farm in central Wis., where Robert was brought up experiencing all the privations and disadvantages of a pioneer life.
In the winter he attended school for many years in the old log school house. One winter he attended the high school at Oshkosh, Wis., and was for two or three terms at the University at Beaver Dam, Wis., and taught school a winter or two. In the spring of 1866 he came to southern Minnesota four miles northwest of Lime Springs, and on Christmas day of that year he married Miss Jane Davis, daughter of W. P. Davis and lived for five years on the farm.
Mr. Hughes built the houses and the fences and planted the trees and in six years the barren land was turned into a comfortable home. In 1871 he moved to Foreston and Mr. Hughes taught the Foreston school, and as he had for several years taken a prominent part in religious work, he was licensed to preach and in 1873, went to Clay county, Iowa, where he did mission work for three years. In 1876 he was called to a church in Dawn, Mo., remaining however for only one year, as he accepted an invitation to take charge of the Foreston church, which he served for about five years. This according to one of the old elders was one of the most flourishing periods in the history of the Foreston church. In 1882 he worked for a little time for the Bible society, and in 1888 he became pastor of the Congregational church at Polk City, fifteen miles north of Des Moines. In 1887 he was chosen Supt. of Congregational Missions for southern la. During the summer of 1889 he was elected a delegate from Iowa to the Worlds' Sunday School convention at London, England, and enjoyed the trip very much. The same year he was appointed Supt. of the American Bible society for Iowa; he was in the position for nine years; it was a work he enjoyed and in it was very successful. Iowa became the banner state having more societies than any other state.
Sunday he usually spent at a county seat preaching in the morning in one of the churches, addressing the children in the Sunday School at 4 p. m., and addressing a meeting of all the churches in the evening.
In 1898 he moved to Oskaloosa where his daughter was teaching music in Penn college; from this as a center he supplied prominent churches for many years. For three months the Welch church in Denver, Col., three months the Welch church in Minneapolis, and the church in Cincinnati, Iowa, for two years.
From 1908 to 1910 he preached at New Cambria, Mo., after this he re¬tired as his health had partically{sic} failed. About 20 years ago he began to have some physical ailment which for a time puzzled the physicians, and which finally proved to be creeping paralysis; for 10 years or so he experienced no change using a cane and a crutch but his mind was as strong, active, clear and cheerful as ever.
Dec. 21, 1911 was his 70th birthday, and he received over 300 postals from friends which he greatly enjoyed, but the end was near. Jan. 14th he be¬came unconscious and after 10 days of rather painless illness he passed away, Jan. 24th, aged 70 years, one month and three days. The days of our years are three-score years and ten; teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. He left to mourn their loss his widow, three children and five grandchildren.

Pleasant Hill Cemetery
 

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