Karen Hughes

Karen Merrill Hughes, 76, of Ammon, peacefully passed away Tuesday, August 25th 2020 at her home surrounded by her family.

Karen was born on November 7th 1943 in Phoenix, Arizona to Roy Herbert Merrill and Floyle Palmer. Her family moved around a lot and ended up graduating from Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She then attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho where she met the love of her life Gorden L. Hughes. Karen and Gorden were married on August 28th 1964 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. Together they had 5 children.

Karen and Gorden lived in Utah, Washington and Idaho. Idaho is where they spent most of their life together raising their children in Idaho falls and Shelley. Later in their life they moved to Ammon where Karen spent the remainder of her days.

Karen worked for 14 years in the lunchroom as a cook for Dean Goodsell Elementary in Shelley where she was lovingly known as “cooker lady”. She enjoyed crocheting, scrapbooking, family history and going to Shelley High School ball games with her friends.

Her favorite thing to do was spend time with her family. Karen was close to her siblings and spoke with them often. She loved to spend time with her children, she was very involved in their lives, school activities and their friends. The neighborhood children would call her Grandma because of her beautiful gray hair. Karen adored her grandchildren and loved to collect pictures of them and help take care of them. Every Sunday all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren that could would come over for dinner, the house was always loud and FULL...of love!

Karen was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and held various callings. She loved studying and sharing her faith with others.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Roy Herbert and Floyle Merrill, brother, Clifford Merrill and sister, Janis Hughes.

She is survived by her loving husband, Gorden L Hughes, two sons, Joel (Lisa) Hughes, Todd (Brandy) Hughes, three daughters, Pamela (Dustin) Hunter, Holly (David) Ward and Mindy Mckinlay, 19 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, sister, Jackie Leseberg and brother, Markus Merrill.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, August 31, 2020 at Nalder Funeral Home, 110 W Oak Street, in Shelley. The funeral service will be streamed live on the Nalder Funeral Home Facebook Page. The family will receive friends Monday morning from 9:30 till 10:40 A.M. at the funeral home. Burial will be at the Shelley Hillcrest Cemetery.









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