Dorothy Kauffman Hughes

Dorothy Kauffman Hughes, age 87, of California, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, September 17, 2019, at her home. She was born on October 5, 1931, on a farm near Versailles, Missouri, the fourth daughter and the fifth child in a family of seven children of David Loan and Mildred Price Kauffman. She attended the one room schoolhouse at Prairie Valley School near her home and graduated from Versailles High School in 1949. She was married in 1949, to Gail Hughes. She attended Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri and later Lincoln University in Jefferson City receiving an Associate degree in Applied Science in Nursing. Upon graduation, she became a Registered Nurse (RN) and was employed by Memorial Community Hospital (now Capital Region Medical Center). She continued there for 27 years until retiring in 1997. While there, she worked as supervisor of the Intensive Care Unit and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Just prior to her retirement, she worked in the Cardiac Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit. She received her Certification in Critical Care Nursing, was involved in pharmacology and ventilator care and assisted with the instruction and orientation of nurses in the Unit. During her employment, she assisted in several drug trials, including the use of clot dissolving agents given to patients admitted with early symptoms of heart attack. Dorothy was a member of the California United Methodist Church and served as Secretary and President of the United Methodist Women and was recording secretary for the United Methodist Church Administrative Council. She was a member of the Learning in Retirement program in Jefferson City where she took classes in watercolor painting and writing, later joining the Creative Writer's Society. She loved flowers and being outdoors. She became a Master Gardener and was a member of the Twin City Garden Club holding the office of President for two terms. She was a member of the Moniteau County Historical Society and a charter member of the Extensionettes Extension Club. Spending time with the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren was one of her favorite activities. She was so proud of their achievements and never missed a concert, a graduation or other special event, even graduation from preschool. She was noted for her homemade cards for special occasions, using old photos with some alterations and her own verses. She did not care for housework. In fact sometimes her husband would remind her of how neat his mother's house was and that his mother never let anything interfere with her cleaning day every Friday. Dorothy is survived by one son, Steven Hughes and his wife Ruth Allee Hughes of Lawrence, Kansas; two daughters, Deborah Engelbrecht, PhD and her husband Earl of Lee's Summit, Missouri and Mary Kay Merrill and her husband Bill of Grand Junction, Colorado; four grandchildren, Nick Engelbrecht MD (Sabra), Lora Engelbrecht Sebold (Dale), Amber Hughes Merrill (Dimitri) and Cameron Hughes; eight great-grandchildren, Savannah, Sarah, Sidney, and Sutton Sebold, Dawson and Leo Engelbrecht, and Metlin and Milo Merrill. A sister, Mildred Kackley survives. Her sisters, Elizabeth Mills Hobbs, Ruth Kauffman, MD, and Sue Smith, and brothers, David Kauffman and Bill Kauffman preceded her in death. A memorial service was held at the California United Methodist Church in California, Missouri on Sunday, September 22, 2019, followed by a reception in the fellowship. No flowers please. Memorials may be made to the California United Methodist Church, Wood Place Library in California or Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.