Obituary of Betty Jean Farthing Hughes

WEAVERVILLE - Betty Jean Farthing Hughes of Weaverville, North Carolina, passed away on June 12, 2019. Mrs. Hughes was a native of Watauga County. She and her husband and two sons moved to Weaverville in 1965 from Boone.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Harold H. Hughes, Sr., who died in 1981; her parents, Carter J. and Maude Farthing; her brothers: Cline, Hal, Joe, and Harry, her sister, Dorothy F. Greene, and her sister-in-law, Mary Farthing, and brother-in-law, Johnny Greene.

Mrs. Hughes received both the B.S. and M.A. degrees from Appalachian State Teachers College (presently ASU). She did further graduate study at Wake Forest University. She began her teaching career in the public schools, first in Ashe County and then at Appalachian High School in Boone.  After moving to Weaverville, Mrs. Hughes taught English at Mars Hill College for the next 28 years.  She also served as department chair and chair of the division of humanities for several years.  She was awarded both the Outstanding Educator Award and the Jefferson-Pilot Life Professorship.  Mrs. Hughes took a personal interest in all of her students and delighted in their accomplishments.  She also maintained friendships with many of them throughout her life. She often commented that she felt she had been “called to teach” in much the same way that preachers are “called to preach”. 

Mrs. Hughes was a member of First Baptist Church, Weaverville, where she served for many years as organist.  She served several terms as a deacon and was also chair of deacons a number of times. Throughout her years as a member she continued to teach a Sunday School class, first as teacher of a couples’ class and later as teacher of a ladies’ Sunday School class.  She loved her class members and continued to teach as long as she was physically able. She served on almost every committee at one time or another and actively promoted a woman’s right to serve wherever God called her to serve.

Second only to her Christian faith, Mrs. Hughes cherished the roles of wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. After the premature death of her husband in 1981, she attempted to fill both roles in the lives of her sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She often helped with schoolwork and served as babysitter.

Mrs. Hughes is survived by her son Harold H., Jr. “Bud” and his wife Dianne; son Joseph Scott and his wife Linda; granddaughter Shanna  and her husband Brandon Carter;  granddaughter Lindsay and her husband, Adam Miller; granddaughter Megan; grandson Jeffrey Hughes and his wife Brannon; and great-grandchildren Avery Carter, Aidan Carter, Ace Carter, Marshall Miller, and Taylor Miller.  She is also survived by one sister, Lee Greer of Tucson, Arizona, sisters-in-law, Betty Farthing of Asheville, and Margaret Farthing of Maryland, a number of nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church, Weaverville, North Carolina. Reverend Stuart M. Lamkin and Dr. Guy Sayles will preside, and family members will participate.  Mrs. Hughes will be buried beside her husband at Mountlawn Memorial Park, 51 Old Kings Street, Boone, with a graveside service at 3:30 p.m. that afternoon. The Reverend Brandon S. Carter will preside. West Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville, is assisting the family.

The family will receive friends at West Funeral Home from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm Friday, June 14, 2019.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Betty F. Hughes Endowed Scholarship at Mars Hill University or to First Baptist Church, Weaverville.

For those who desire, condolences may be offered to the family under Mrs. Hughes’ obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com.