Bill “TW” Hughs

A celebration of life service for Bill “TW” Hughs, 87, of rural Knoxville will be held Saturday,
February 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Pierschbacher’s (309 W. Main St. Knoxville). The service will
be followed by a time of fellowship and visiting with light snacks. A private family burial will take
place at the Lincoln Cemetery near Knoxville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be in Bill’s honor to any charity of your choice.
Thomas William Hughs was born November 23, 1937, in Pleasantville, Iowa, to Tommy and
Fern Hughs. Bill graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1955. He joined the Air Force and
served until 1957. Fate had him stationed in Salina, Kansas which happened to be short
2.5hour drive from Ponca, Oklahoma where he had the good fortune of going on a triple blind
date with some friends and three nurses. On this date, he met Darlene “Sam” Cherry. She had a
midnight train to catch for a quick weekend visit to home after the date. Bill surprised her at the
train station on Sam’s return trip and the journey began. Bill returned to Iowa and they spent the
next three years corresponding through letters while Sam finished nurses training. Once she
had graduated, he invited her to meet his parents in Pleasantville and proposed the same
weekend. The couple married on May 28, 1960, in Bethany, Oklahoma. They lived for 11
months in Oklahoma where Bill worked for Sams father running heavy equipment in his
demolition business. Bill and Sam moved back home to Pleasantville and he applied for a job
with the Marion County Road Maintenance Department. He retired in 1997 after 31 years with
the county with the last 10 years as foreman. During all this time he and Sam farmed on the
home place just east of Pleasantville. He enjoyed being able to farm during the day after retiring
from the county. In 2022, after many years of tending the land and crops, Bill walked into the
house one afternoon and announced to Sam that he decided to officially retire from farming.
Work always came before play, but he did find time to attend his children’s school events and
share his own passions. He may have been a workaholic, but he had fun while working and he
absolutely loved teaching and working with his granddaughters. He loved all the animals that
came with the farm life from cats, dogs, horses, donkeys, and cows. Bill grew up with horses
and his family was very involved in horse showing, a family event that he and Sam also enjoyed
with David and DeMaria as they grew up. Once their children decided to stop showing horses,
Bill spent many years as a horse show judge. He thoroughly enjoyed all the friends and
conversations that came with it. Bill enjoyed his days of retirement in the sunshine watching the
birds. One of their favorite topics was an annual discussion on who saw the first spring
hummingbirds. Bill also enjoyed his porch time with Sam drinking coffee, and reminiscing
65years of marriage. They enjoyed many different hobbies together over the years, including
square dancing and playing cards with their friends.

He was always improving the land and was not wasteful. When he cleared waterways and fence
rows, he installed a wood stove so he could burn the wood. Then when corn prices bottomed
out, he installed a corn furnace that always kept the house toasty. His last project that will be
finished by his family, was restoring an old pond on the family’s farm.

Bill was progressive and embraced new technology and equipment. The Century Family Farm
was always immaculate, no weeds in the fences, buildings maintained, and everything in its
place. One of Bill’s favorite past times was collecting toy tractors and restoring antique tractors.
He was a charter tractor rider of the WHO Tractor Ride and never missed a ride on his mother’s
blue Fordson Diesel, a very unique tractor on the ride.

Bill leaves a legacy in many ways, but his greatest is his family. He cherished his wife, children,
and grandchildren.

Bill passed away on February 11th, at the age of 87. He will be greatly missed by his wife of
nearly 65 years, Darlene “Sam” Hughs; his son, David Thomas (Valerie VerSteeg) Hughs;
granddaughters: Cydne (Neal) Abbott and Courtney (Bobby) Buckalew; great grandchildren:
Brantlee, Aleia, and Avanna; along with many relatives and friends.

Preceding him in death were his parents: Tommy and Fern Hughs; daughter, DeMaria Hughs in
1981; and sister, Harriett Harvey.