Michael Anderson Hughes

A memorial service for Michael Anderson Hughes will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church at 612 S. Broadway in Ada, Oklahoma, at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8. He passed away at Ada's Mercy Hospital on September 3, 2025.

Michael, whose intellect could have challenged any Jeopardy champion on television, was born in Dallas, Texas, on November 23, 1952.

Michael's father, Earl Hughes, was a Methodist minister in Arkansas. His mother, Lynne LaCovey Hughes, was known for her total recall of the locations of Biblical references, according to Michael's sister Suzanne Hughes.

Michael and his wife Eril met on the first day of orientation at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, in 1971. They worked together at the college library circulation desk, and later became engaged while in line at a church potluck supper. Their honeymoon in Natchez, Mississippi, was a combination of their interests in old houses and Civil War sites. The celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary was in 2024.

Their first home was in Nashville, Tennessee, where Michael completed his M.Div. degree at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Following several positions in Methodist churches in Arkansas, Michael attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and received his Ph.D in history. He later taught courses part-time at East Central University for many years. He was also a long-time member of the American Frontier Historical Association, and a frequent speaker at the yearly meetings.

In addition to his love of history, Michael enjoyed learning all he could about birds, and he loved trying to catch glimpses of eagles in Oklahoma. He even started learning the different bird calls.

Michael also thoroughly enjoyed traveling. One of his favorite trips was to Glacier National Park in Montana. A highlight of this trip was completing a one-day 24-mile hike that went through part of the Continental Divide. Yellowstone National Park and the Smoky Mountains National Park were also on Michael's list of favorite parks.

Since Michael loved national parks, please consider making donations to a national park of your choice. Scouting America is another organization close to Michael's heart because he learned so much while he earned an Eagle Scout designation as a Boy Scout.

Surviving family include his wife Eril, who lives in Ada, and his sister Suzanne and her daughter Chandler, who live in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He also has many beloved god-children.

The family says those who wish may make memorials to National Parks (Yellowstone) or the Arbuckle Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, PO Box 5309, Ardmore, OK 73403.