Mary M. Hughes

Mary (Briggs) Hughes, 89 of Greenwood, Indiana passed away on December 4, 2023, after a brief illness. Mary was born in 1934 to Landon and Julie (Bryant) Briggs in Yancey County, North Carolina. After graduating from Clearmont High School in Burnsville, she went off to work at a diner near Fort Bragg and it is here she met her husband of 67 years, Harold Hughes who was a Sergeant in the Air Force. They married in 1956 and moved to Washington, Indiana, where she gave birth to two children, Marty and Julie.

When the family moved to Greenwood, Indiana for Harold’s new career in law enforcement, Mary followed suit. Not content to stay at home, Mary attended the Indiana State Law Enforcement Academy and began working as a police dispatcher with the Greenwood Police Department. After many years devoted to service there, she went on to work as a store detective for LS Ayres, and after “retirement” spent 15 years working with the Greenwood Village Towers.

Mary was a talented artist, displaying her creations in oil painting in various shows in the area. Her garden was a source of joy, and she loved tending to her roses and day lilies. At one point she had over 125 different variations of day lilies, and often won ribbons in the county fair for her garden prowess. She also loved spending time with her family in North Carolina, where raucous and competitive games of marbles were a common activity, and will no doubt still take place in the great beyond. Her story telling ability and sense of humor will be missed.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Harold, her parents Landon and Julie Briggs, her brothers JD, Bud and Dean, and by her sister Betty. She is survived by her children, Marty (Genny) and Julie (Anna), grandchildren Jonathan and Jeremy (McKenzie) and her beloved Pomeranian, Abby. She also leaves behind sisters Pearl, Ruth, Dorothy, Eyvonne, and Patricia, one brother Wayne (Tammy), a sister-in-law Wilma, brother-in-law Bill and many cherished nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Yancey History Association at 3 Academy Street, Burnsville, North Carolina 28714 or http://www.yanceyhistoryassociation.org/ or to the  Corning Irish Heritage Center at P.O. Box 282, Montgomery, IN 47558 or https://www.corningheritagecenter.com/. A private memorial ceremony and burial will follow.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Wilson St. Pierre Funeral Service and Crematory, 481 W. Main Street, Greenwood, IN 46142.

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