Kilbourne, IL - Floye Berneda (Conklin) Hughes, 84, of Kilbourne, IL passed away Wednesday, November 8, 2006, at Havana Healthcare Center in Havana after an extended illness.

Mrs. Hughes was born in Kilbourne to Leslie Ray "Skim" Conklin and Flossie Charlotte (Ade) Conklin on August 25, 1922. She married Otis Wayne Hughes on July 31, 1941. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1977 and a son, Russell Eugene Hughes in 2000.

Floye was village clerk of Kilbourne for 35-plus years (the first woman to serve in the village government) and had been a short-order cook at The Poplar Inn and Shirley's Diner, both in Kilbourne.

She was an active member of the Kilbourne Baptist Church serving in the Dorcas Circle and the Missionary Society prior to her illness, after which she resided for 14 years at Havana Healthcare Center.

Mrs. Hughes is survived by five children, Jeanette (Richard) McCaulley of East Peoria, IL, Charles (Linda) Hughes of Morton, IL, Danny (Cheryl) Hughes of Kilbourne, IL, Vivian (Jim) Freeman of Kilbourne, IL, and Kathleen (Bill) Hahn of Bath, IL; ten grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; two brothers, Lloyd (Lora) Conklin of Havana, IL and James (Donna) Conklin of Petersburg, IL; and four sisters, Evelyn Williamson of West Allis, WI, Nina Patrick of Bath, IL, Daisy Emmons of Alton, IL, and Patsy Kramer of Bloomington, IL.

She was preceded in death by three sisters and four brothers.

Her funeral service was held at Kilbourne Baptist Church, conducted by her faithful Pastor, David Byrd. Burial was in the Kilbourne Cemetery.

Six grandsons - Dan Gilmore, Eric Hughes, Nathanael Hughes, Adam Hughes, Matthew Freeman, and Michael Freeman and two great-grandsons - Brandon Long and Vinnie Fuller, served as her casketbearers. She would have been very proud of them.

November 9, 2006 | Peoria Journal Star, The (IL)