I present this information in honor of my mother, Mary Lou Hughes, so the world might know the wonder of a love strong enough to bend when necessary and able to stand against life's storms no matter how hard the wind blew..... Donna
Mary Lou Cliburn Hughes passed away quietly at the home of relatives in Braxton, MS on 5//22/2018. A Celebration of Life was later held with a presentation of Mary Lou's life story given by her daughter, Donna Langham Hays.
Mary Lou was born during the 1940s to her mother, Coraine Welch Cliburn and father, James "Buck" Cliburn. I say sometime during the 40's because she was born with busy hands and never stopped, therefore she lied about her age so she could get her drivers license long before she turned 15; she did so because she was taking care on an elderly and disabled lady and mom had to drive her to medical appointments, etc. During that time she worked within walking distance of the café where she had a second job as a waitress in a local diner. The proximity allowed her to go back and forth between the home of her patient and the diner.
Previous to her working those two jobs she was a constant in the gardens picking cotton with her parents and siblings as share croppers on land which she later purchased from the land owner and built a house on many years later. She was in the process of selling that little house, a cabin in the woods with a live creek running through the property. Just as she had all her life, she worked hard and constantly on her many acres with a farm tractor, one in which she constantly got stuck in the creek or in a mudhole somewhere on the property.
Mary Lou was the rock of her family, not limited to but including, a daughter, Donna Langham Hays of Brandon, MS. Her grandson, Christopher Hays of Arizona, grandson Donovan Hays of Mize, MS and his wife, Tabitha Warren Hays and their sons Talan and Fordie. Extremely special friends of Mary Lou's were Marvin Faucett of Madison, MS, Michael Hays of Mendenhall, MS and Willie Burton of D'Lo, Ms.
Proceeding her in death was her only son, Jimmy Dale Langham who died October 23, 2014 in Palm Springs, CA. Her father whom she simply adored, James "Buck" Cliburn, mother Coraine Welch Cliburn.
Mom was the kind of person that if you were in need she would always be there with a helping hand. A few years ago she suffered multiple strokes which left her with a slight personality change, but the one thing that never changed was her heart, it was as large as the moon times a million. She was known to feed the hungry, clothe the less fortunate, gather people to her table and welcome people with open arms. She was also a mom who defended her children with every breath she had within her. Never once did she ever let her children or grandchildren down. She was such a solid rock we thought she'd live forever.
Mom woke up Wednesday morning and was sitting on the couch sipping coffee when relatives left for the day, she said "I love you" as she always did. She was getting ready for a dentist appointment because of a toothache and ironing clothes. At five pm she was found deceased from an apparent heart attack. She still had the cross in her hand which she was about to put on.
Mom raised her children on a tiny paycheck and never put us to bed hungry or dirty. We never knew we were so poor because we never lacked the things we needed. She was a provider, mother, care giver, concerned parent/grandparent and she seemed 12 feet tall to Jimmy and I, though she was actually about 5'5. Mom was the most loyal person the world has ever known. She had a trusting heart.
After mom's strokes she never slowed down, it was as if she was afraid if she stopped she would never get back up, so she went all the time. She worked in her yard constantly and leaves behind many beautiful flower beds which will bloom year round and grace the skies with beautiful smells.
Mom never finished high school but it never held her back, she owned two grocery stores in her lifetime and was a top producing sales person for a major spice company for over 20 years. Her personality gained her recognition for her work ethics and her attention to details.
Mom was a free thinker and she loved reading. In her lifetime she read well over 300 books. She craved knowledge and never stopped learning. Previous to her death she and her grandson, Chris had been to several bookstores where she came away with armloads of books. She had a love of fiction and non-fiction, autobiographies, romance novels and historical books.
Mom taught us that people are the same and should be treated as such. She never once looked at people by race, economic status, clothes they wore or the help they had to ask for. She treated them all the same, she wanted to save the world.
Her favorite thing in the world was to have her children, grandchildren and friends around her all at the same time. The mother's day prior to her death my family and I spent time together with mom by having a shrimp boil, it was a happy moment for her and we are thankful we had those moments. That day was in God's hands and he gave us one more day to be together, if only we had known that day would be our last.
Mom has a fascinating life story and perhaps one day I'll put it in writing but for now, on behalf of my family and I, we love you momma, heart, soul, good, bad and all that your life resembled. You will never be forgotten.
GOD thank you for the 74 years you gave us with a mother who loved us beyond what we can put into words. We knew she was strong but now we realize just how strong she really was.
Mary Lou Cliburn Hughes passed away quietly at the home of relatives in Braxton, MS on 5//22/2018. A Celebration of Life was later held with a presentation of Mary Lou's life story given by her daughter, Donna Langham Hays.
Mary Lou was born during the 1940s to her mother, Coraine Welch Cliburn and father, James "Buck" Cliburn. I say sometime during the 40's because she was born with busy hands and never stopped, therefore she lied about her age so she could get her drivers license long before she turned 15; she did so because she was taking care on an elderly and disabled lady and mom had to drive her to medical appointments, etc. During that time she worked within walking distance of the café where she had a second job as a waitress in a local diner. The proximity allowed her to go back and forth between the home of her patient and the diner.
Previous to her working those two jobs she was a constant in the gardens picking cotton with her parents and siblings as share croppers on land which she later purchased from the land owner and built a house on many years later. She was in the process of selling that little house, a cabin in the woods with a live creek running through the property. Just as she had all her life, she worked hard and constantly on her many acres with a farm tractor, one in which she constantly got stuck in the creek or in a mudhole somewhere on the property.
Mary Lou was the rock of her family, not limited to but including, a daughter, Donna Langham Hays of Brandon, MS. Her grandson, Christopher Hays of Arizona, grandson Donovan Hays of Mize, MS and his wife, Tabitha Warren Hays and their sons Talan and Fordie. Extremely special friends of Mary Lou's were Marvin Faucett of Madison, MS, Michael Hays of Mendenhall, MS and Willie Burton of D'Lo, Ms.
Proceeding her in death was her only son, Jimmy Dale Langham who died October 23, 2014 in Palm Springs, CA. Her father whom she simply adored, James "Buck" Cliburn, mother Coraine Welch Cliburn.
Mom was the kind of person that if you were in need she would always be there with a helping hand. A few years ago she suffered multiple strokes which left her with a slight personality change, but the one thing that never changed was her heart, it was as large as the moon times a million. She was known to feed the hungry, clothe the less fortunate, gather people to her table and welcome people with open arms. She was also a mom who defended her children with every breath she had within her. Never once did she ever let her children or grandchildren down. She was such a solid rock we thought she'd live forever.
Mom woke up Wednesday morning and was sitting on the couch sipping coffee when relatives left for the day, she said "I love you" as she always did. She was getting ready for a dentist appointment because of a toothache and ironing clothes. At five pm she was found deceased from an apparent heart attack. She still had the cross in her hand which she was about to put on.
Mom raised her children on a tiny paycheck and never put us to bed hungry or dirty. We never knew we were so poor because we never lacked the things we needed. She was a provider, mother, care giver, concerned parent/grandparent and she seemed 12 feet tall to Jimmy and I, though she was actually about 5'5. Mom was the most loyal person the world has ever known. She had a trusting heart.
After mom's strokes she never slowed down, it was as if she was afraid if she stopped she would never get back up, so she went all the time. She worked in her yard constantly and leaves behind many beautiful flower beds which will bloom year round and grace the skies with beautiful smells.
Mom never finished high school but it never held her back, she owned two grocery stores in her lifetime and was a top producing sales person for a major spice company for over 20 years. Her personality gained her recognition for her work ethics and her attention to details.
Mom was a free thinker and she loved reading. In her lifetime she read well over 300 books. She craved knowledge and never stopped learning. Previous to her death she and her grandson, Chris had been to several bookstores where she came away with armloads of books. She had a love of fiction and non-fiction, autobiographies, romance novels and historical books.
Mom taught us that people are the same and should be treated as such. She never once looked at people by race, economic status, clothes they wore or the help they had to ask for. She treated them all the same, she wanted to save the world.
Her favorite thing in the world was to have her children, grandchildren and friends around her all at the same time. The mother's day prior to her death my family and I spent time together with mom by having a shrimp boil, it was a happy moment for her and we are thankful we had those moments. That day was in God's hands and he gave us one more day to be together, if only we had known that day would be our last.
Mom has a fascinating life story and perhaps one day I'll put it in writing but for now, on behalf of my family and I, we love you momma, heart, soul, good, bad and all that your life resembled. You will never be forgotten.
GOD thank you for the 74 years you gave us with a mother who loved us beyond what we can put into words. We knew she was strong but now we realize just how strong she really was.
I present this information in honor of my mother, Mary Lou Hughes, so the world might know the wonder of a love strong enough to bend when necessary and able to stand against life's storms no matter how hard the wind blew..... Donna
Mary Lou Cliburn Hughes passed away quietly at the home of relatives in Braxton, MS on 5//22/2018. A Celebration of Life was later held with a presentation of Mary Lou's life story given by her daughter, Donna Langham Hays.
Mary Lou was born during the 1940s to her mother, Coraine Welch Cliburn and father, James "Buck" Cliburn. I say sometime during the 40's because she was born with busy hands and never stopped, therefore she lied about her age so she could get her drivers license long before she turned 15; she did so because she was taking care on an elderly and disabled lady and mom had to drive her to medical appointments, etc. During that time she worked within walking distance of the café where she had a second job as a waitress in a local diner. The proximity allowed her to go back and forth between the home of her patient and the diner.
Previous to her working those two jobs she was a constant in the gardens picking cotton with her parents and siblings as share croppers on land which she later purchased from the land owner and built a house on many years later. She was in the process of selling that little house, a cabin in the woods with a live creek running through the property. Just as she had all her life, she worked hard and constantly on her many acres with a farm tractor, one in which she constantly got stuck in the creek or in a mudhole somewhere on the property.
Mary Lou was the rock of her family, not limited to but including, a daughter, Donna Langham Hays of Brandon, MS. Her grandson, Christopher Hays of Arizona, grandson Donovan Hays of Mize, MS and his wife, Tabitha Warren Hays and their sons Talan and Fordie. Extremely special friends of Mary Lou's were Marvin Faucett of Madison, MS, Michael Hays of Mendenhall, MS and Willie Burton of D'Lo, Ms.
Proceeding her in death was her only son, Jimmy Dale Langham who died October 23, 2014 in Palm Springs, CA. Her father whom she simply adored, James "Buck" Cliburn, mother Coraine Welch Cliburn.
Mom was the kind of person that if you were in need she would always be there with a helping hand. A few years ago she suffered multiple strokes which left her with a slight personality change, but the one thing that never changed was her heart, it was as large as the moon times a million. She was known to feed the hungry, clothe the less fortunate, gather people to her table and welcome people with open arms. She was also a mom who defended her children with every breath she had within her. Never once did she ever let her children or grandchildren down. She was such a solid rock we thought she'd live forever.
Mom woke up Wednesday morning and was sitting on the couch sipping coffee when relatives left for the day, she said "I love you" as she always did. She was getting ready for a dentist appointment because of a toothache and ironing clothes. At five pm she was found deceased from an apparent heart attack. She still had the cross in her hand which she was about to put on.
Mom raised her children on a tiny paycheck and never put us to bed hungry or dirty. We never knew we were so poor because we never lacked the things we needed. She was a provider, mother, care giver, concerned parent/grandparent and she seemed 12 feet tall to Jimmy and I, though she was actually about 5'5. Mom was the most loyal person the world has ever known. She had a trusting heart.
After mom's strokes she never slowed down, it was as if she was afraid if she stopped she would never get back up, so she went all the time. She worked in her yard constantly and leaves behind many beautiful flower beds which will bloom year round and grace the skies with beautiful smells.
Mom never finished high school but it never held her back, she owned two grocery stores in her lifetime and was a top producing sales person for a major spice company for over 20 years. Her personality gained her recognition for her work ethics and her attention to details.
Mom was a free thinker and she loved reading. In her lifetime she read well over 300 books. She craved knowledge and never stopped learning. Previous to her death she and her grandson, Chris had been to several bookstores where she came away with armloads of books. She had a love of fiction and non-fiction, autobiographies, romance novels and historical books.
Mom taught us that people are the same and should be treated as such. She never once looked at people by race, economic status, clothes they wore or the help they had to ask for. She treated them all the same, she wanted to save the world.
Her favorite thing in the world was to have her children, grandchildren and friends around her all at the same time. The mother's day prior to her death my family and I spent time together with mom by having a shrimp boil, it was a happy moment for her and we are thankful we had those moments. That day was in God's hands and he gave us one more day to be together, if only we had known that day would be our last.
Mom has a fascinating life story and perhaps one day I'll put it in writing but for now, on behalf of my family and I, we love you momma, heart, soul, good, bad and all that your life resembled. You will never be forgotten.
GOD thank you for the 74 years you gave us with a mother who loved us beyond what we can put into words. We knew she was strong but now we realize just how strong she really was.
Mary Lou Cliburn Hughes passed away quietly at the home of relatives in Braxton, MS on 5//22/2018. A Celebration of Life was later held with a presentation of Mary Lou's life story given by her daughter, Donna Langham Hays.
Mary Lou was born during the 1940s to her mother, Coraine Welch Cliburn and father, James "Buck" Cliburn. I say sometime during the 40's because she was born with busy hands and never stopped, therefore she lied about her age so she could get her drivers license long before she turned 15; she did so because she was taking care on an elderly and disabled lady and mom had to drive her to medical appointments, etc. During that time she worked within walking distance of the café where she had a second job as a waitress in a local diner. The proximity allowed her to go back and forth between the home of her patient and the diner.
Previous to her working those two jobs she was a constant in the gardens picking cotton with her parents and siblings as share croppers on land which she later purchased from the land owner and built a house on many years later. She was in the process of selling that little house, a cabin in the woods with a live creek running through the property. Just as she had all her life, she worked hard and constantly on her many acres with a farm tractor, one in which she constantly got stuck in the creek or in a mudhole somewhere on the property.
Mary Lou was the rock of her family, not limited to but including, a daughter, Donna Langham Hays of Brandon, MS. Her grandson, Christopher Hays of Arizona, grandson Donovan Hays of Mize, MS and his wife, Tabitha Warren Hays and their sons Talan and Fordie. Extremely special friends of Mary Lou's were Marvin Faucett of Madison, MS, Michael Hays of Mendenhall, MS and Willie Burton of D'Lo, Ms.
Proceeding her in death was her only son, Jimmy Dale Langham who died October 23, 2014 in Palm Springs, CA. Her father whom she simply adored, James "Buck" Cliburn, mother Coraine Welch Cliburn.
Mom was the kind of person that if you were in need she would always be there with a helping hand. A few years ago she suffered multiple strokes which left her with a slight personality change, but the one thing that never changed was her heart, it was as large as the moon times a million. She was known to feed the hungry, clothe the less fortunate, gather people to her table and welcome people with open arms. She was also a mom who defended her children with every breath she had within her. Never once did she ever let her children or grandchildren down. She was such a solid rock we thought she'd live forever.
Mom woke up Wednesday morning and was sitting on the couch sipping coffee when relatives left for the day, she said "I love you" as she always did. She was getting ready for a dentist appointment because of a toothache and ironing clothes. At five pm she was found deceased from an apparent heart attack. She still had the cross in her hand which she was about to put on.
Mom raised her children on a tiny paycheck and never put us to bed hungry or dirty. We never knew we were so poor because we never lacked the things we needed. She was a provider, mother, care giver, concerned parent/grandparent and she seemed 12 feet tall to Jimmy and I, though she was actually about 5'5. Mom was the most loyal person the world has ever known. She had a trusting heart.
After mom's strokes she never slowed down, it was as if she was afraid if she stopped she would never get back up, so she went all the time. She worked in her yard constantly and leaves behind many beautiful flower beds which will bloom year round and grace the skies with beautiful smells.
Mom never finished high school but it never held her back, she owned two grocery stores in her lifetime and was a top producing sales person for a major spice company for over 20 years. Her personality gained her recognition for her work ethics and her attention to details.
Mom was a free thinker and she loved reading. In her lifetime she read well over 300 books. She craved knowledge and never stopped learning. Previous to her death she and her grandson, Chris had been to several bookstores where she came away with armloads of books. She had a love of fiction and non-fiction, autobiographies, romance novels and historical books.
Mom taught us that people are the same and should be treated as such. She never once looked at people by race, economic status, clothes they wore or the help they had to ask for. She treated them all the same, she wanted to save the world.
Her favorite thing in the world was to have her children, grandchildren and friends around her all at the same time. The mother's day prior to her death my family and I spent time together with mom by having a shrimp boil, it was a happy moment for her and we are thankful we had those moments. That day was in God's hands and he gave us one more day to be together, if only we had known that day would be our last.
Mom has a fascinating life story and perhaps one day I'll put it in writing but for now, on behalf of my family and I, we love you momma, heart, soul, good, bad and all that your life resembled. You will never be forgotten.
GOD thank you for the 74 years you gave us with a mother who loved us beyond what we can put into words. We knew she was strong but now we realize just how strong she really was.
Gravesite Details
Mary Lou had a favorite Aunt Wilma and Cousin Mary Nell she grew up with. Though she was cremated she was buried between the two at Merit Cemetery in Mendenhall, MS. Her grave is 2M from her little cabin in the woods.
Family Members
Spouse
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