The Charles Arthur and Orilla Luella Hughes Family Organization

The stories we’ve always been told about mom as a child is that she was the housekeeper…always cleaning something. Her brothers and sisters have said many times over the years that you could always tell how mad mom was by how hard she was cleaning…the faster and harder she cleaned, the madder she was!

Just like her siblings, mom attended school in Mesquite, Nevada, and graduated from Virgin Valley High School in 1941. While working as a waitress at Colton's Texaco in Mesquite, which was the local Trailways Bus Stop, she saw dad for the first time. He was an over-the-road bus driver for Trailways. Dad was quite a bit older than mom, and she said he scared her to death when he tipped his hat, smiled and said “How do you do?”
She was missing one of her front teeth at the time (Uncle Tom Abbott had pulled it out because she had a toothache!) and mom refused to wait on his table, asking one of the other waitresses to take his order. Dad always said he must not have scared her too much, because the next time he stopped in for the bus stop dinner break, she had a new front tooth, and was certainly willing to wait on him!

Not only was dad twenty-five years older than mom, he certainly was more sophisticated than she was, he traveled and had seen a lot, he was divorced, he was not a Mormon, and he was Texan, to boot! So you can imagine how uncertain she must have been to bring him home to “meet the parents.” Grandma Hughes fell in love with him right from the start (the flowers and candy he brought her might have softened her heart a little bit.) It didn’t take the rest of the Hughes Family long to welcome him into their home, hearts and family, even though dad said some of mom’s brothers teased her quite a lot about marrying old “Santa Claus.” But marry him she did, on August 26, 1944, in front of the fireplace in Grandma and Grandpa’s house. They went to Texas on their honeymoon so that mom could meet dad’s family. Dad was the only boy, and the youngest of the Curry Family, having his older sisters always dote on him. The Curry’s, not unlike the Hughes’, had their doubts about this much younger, innocent, Mormon girl. But it only took a few minutes for them to see what their baby brother found so appealing about this girl. Mom formed a strong bond with dad’s two sisters, (Mary and Ella…now you know where I got my name) and that bond lasted throughout their lives.

Mom and dad set-up housekeeping in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Dad continued driving bus, and mom continued cleaning house and cooking. Edd Evan was born September 13, 1945. Even though dad was just two days shy of his 48th birthday when Evan was born, it was his first child…and a boy to carry on the Curry family name. He was a happy man.

I was born September 13, 1949, on Evan’s 4th birthday. Aunt Maurine was with mom at the hospital when I came along, and she said the only thing that mom said…over and over…was “A little girl, huh? Well, ain’t that nice!” Evan and I were so lucky! Our parents may have seemed to have been an unusual pair to some, but they were absolutely the most nourishing, caring, loving, encouraging parents any kids could ever dream of having. We grew up well provided for, in a stress-free, kind words only spoken here, love one another, encourage each other, dinner on the table at 5:00, safe and secure home.

Mom was a wonderful wife and mother who made our house a home, handling not only the “routine” family tasks, but the business-end of building and managing apartments and rental houses, in addition to her many church jobs over the years. Dad was always a good provider for our family, and though we certainly were not wealthy, we were always fortunate to have everything we needed…and mostly everything we wanted, too. There is some advantage of having an older man head of the house. Before he met mom, dad thought he would never have any children, so when Evan and I came along, he was overjoyed and maybe a little overindulgent. It wasn’t just with us kids either; he adored mom, and always did everything possible to make sure she had the best. I remember Aunt Thora always quoting an old saying about “It’s better to be an old man’s sweetheart than a young man’s slave.” Aunt Tho loved dad, and he loved her, too. She said on numerous occasions, “Vide certainly has been old man’s sweetheart! Edd treats her just like a princess.”

As delighted as dad had been with having two children late in his life, he and mom were thrilled (and definitely surprised!) when in early December of 1967 a four-day-old baby girl was left in our home by her birth parents, with them insisting that mom and dad adopt this infant because the values and love our family had, they would never be able to give their child, and they wanted the best life possible for her. So, at the ages of 70 and 45, dad and mom became new parents to Connie Rae. This little girl stole our hearts and made us all so happy!

Our family was growing fast in the late 60s. Evan married Coe Ann Mitchell on June 28, 1967, and one year later I married Robert Edward Horn on June 7, 1968. So, Connie did not grow up as “an only child”…she grew up with all our kids…mom and dad’s grandkids. Evan and Coe Ann have 3 children: Denna Michelle (31), married to Casey Kupisch, one little girl, Kasha. Evan Mitchell is 28, and Edd Houston is 24. Bob and I have 2 boys: Robert Houston (32), married to Mary Suszette McLamb, one son, Robby (7), and one daughter, Kylie (5). Scott Edward is 28.

Evan and Coe Ann still live in Las Vegas, Evan is retired/disabled, and Coe Ann still teaches high school. Denna’s family lives in Tempe, Arizona, “Little Evan” is living and working with Bob and me, and Eddie is attending UNLV and living at home.

Bob and I moved our family to Louisiana 11 years ago. We own and operate a few truck stop/travel centers in the state of Louisiana. Our oldest son, Rob and his little family live three houses down the street from us, so we are blessed to be able to see our “baby grands” every day. Our youngest son, Scott, is still with us.

Connie was killed in a vehicle/pedestrian accident in July, 2000. She had many trials and troubles in her young life, and often struggled to make the right choices. She had a soft heart, and was a kind person. We miss her very much. Her son, Brian, (11) has been adopted by a wonderful family here in Shreveport; Michael & Loraine Guerrero. He has an older brother and sister-in-law, and two teenage sisters. Connie’s daughter, Amelia, (6) is with her daddy and step momma, and has an older brother and sister. Our entire family is very much involved with both of Connie’s children and their families. We feel very blessed for the children to be in such stable, loving environments, and we are so grateful to each family for allowing us to be involved, on a daily basis, in their lives.

Dad died in Las Vegas in May, 1986. Mom and Aunt Melie (Carmelia…#13), still live in Grandpa and Grandma’s home. They have a beautiful home and yard and enjoy the Sunday afternoon visits with their brothers, nieces, nephews and friends. If you get a chance, drop by for a visit.