Hudson Star – Times November 22, 1907

LIEUTENANT GEORGE R. HUGHES

A Tribute

Our boyhood playmate, schoolmate, the genial, frollicking, laughing, curly-haired "Bob" has gone. How well we remember the happy days, before the war, when all the boys of our embryo city were friends; no cliques nor clans, just happy boys together, at school, on the ice, in the woods, or fishing by the old saw-mill that stood by the mouth of Willow River.

Everybody loved Rob because he seemed to love everybody. As the years rolled by came the separation caused by the war; and even there his worth was appreciated, and from a private he rose to the rank of lieutenant, when the war closed he came back among us and his fellow citizens were glad to give him a responsible public office which he held acceptably for several terms. After closing his last term at the Court House the cloud that so often appears in men's lives, cam to him; the long and serious illness of his lovely wife and an unfortunate business alliance, but through it all he retained his cheerful disposition, and when death claimed his companion and poverty was staring him in the face, he left his boyhood home and went to Superior to begin, as it were, life anew, taking his young son and daughter with him.

His life there was marked by his attention to, and great love for children. Through the years of his suffering from heart trouble, the school children vied with each other to render him kind and thoughtful service.

The funeral was held in Superior on Friday afternoon; the requests for leave of absence were so many that the authorities ordered the schools closed that the pupils might all attended the services, and it was a dad and touching sight to see so many of them in tears at the loss of their personal friend. The casket covered with beautiful roses, carnations, lillies and chrysanthemums bore mute testimony of the kind regard of church, lodge and neighbor.

The remains clad in the soldiers' uniform, were followed by a large concourse to the train, whence they were brought here and on the next day a few of his old neighbors and friends gathered, and after a brief service all that was mortal of Bob was laid beside his wife in beautiful Willow River cemetery.

The genial spirit has gone to its home and let us hope that our Saviour's words "Inasmuch as ye hay done it unto one of the least of these" were meant for Bob.

Auf Wiedersehn

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His parents James B. and Elizabeth (Mather) Hughes moved first to St. Paul, MN then Hudson, WI in 1849.

In the spring of 1861 George enlisted in the Hudson City Guards, later in Company G, 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Veteran Cavalry from Hudson, Wisconsin. He served as a Private from April 20, 1861 to January 24, 1864, when Gen. Banks as 2nd Lt. of Company D, 99th U.S.C.T, then commissioned him.

He married Arianna H. Knowles in River falls, Wisconsin, October 20, 1868. Arianna was born in River falls, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Persly Knowles and Betsey Giles. Arianna died November 24, 1882 in River Falls, Wisconsin.

In the fall of 1866 George R. Hughes was elected register of deeds of St. Croix County, and re-elected twice. Later he became a real estate dealer and did a business loans, insurance and abstracts. After his wife's death in 1882, he spent about five years in St. Paul with his children never remarrying. In the spring of 1887 he came to Superior, where he compiled the first set of abstracts of Douglas County. Following spring he made another set of abstract books for the Superior Abstract Company. He eventually bought out that company and continued to run the business by himself. He then became the justice of the peace of the First ward of Superior. He was secretary of the Albany Realty Company, which owned much property in New York and Superior.

George died November 14, 1907 Superior, Wisconsin, at 67 years of age. George Robert Hughes is the second of twelve children born to his parents. Four of them took part in the Civil War.