Obituary of Phyllis Hugley

Phyllis Irene Morgan was born on September 18th, 1929 in Rocky Ford, Colorado.  The family, along with her grandparents, lived in the Rocky Ford/Swink area until she was in the eighth grade. As a freshman, they moved to the Yoder area, south of Simla, where she attended Alta Vista High School and graduated in 1947. The family attended Simla Baptist Church. Phyllis participated in 4-H, helped on the family farm, and had many fond memories of taking trips into Colorado Springs to sell eggs and cream with her grandfather.
As a high school student, Phyllis worked on the volunteer crew that helped turn the property southeast of Monument, Colorado into the Black Forest Baptist camp which was a part of the American Baptist Churches of Colorado. Phyllis helped remove the fencing that had been previously used to raise foxes on the property. She went on to be a camp counselor, director, craft teacher, and over the years invested a lot of time into her beloved Black Forest Church Camp.
On her 18th birthday, she attended her first day of classes at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. After two years of college, she completed her teaching certificate and began her first teaching job at Truckton School, near her home in the Rush/Yoder area. In 1952, she accepted a position teaching the 3rd and 4th grade combined class in Genoa, Colorado. In 1965, Phyllis graduated from Colorado State College, now known as University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, with a bachelor’s degree in education. 
When invited by a friend, Wanda Hugley, to drive to Hugo to see the movie, The Greatest Show on Earth, Phyllis met Donald Hugley, the love of her life. He had been roped into driving the girls to the show. They were married on December 22, 1953 in Simla. They lived in Genoa and she continued teaching until Claud was born. Donald and Phyllis were married for over 40 years when Donald went home to be with his Lord and Savior in 1995. 
In 1956, Phyllis began teaching 5th Grade at Limon Public Schools. The family moved to their new house on K Avenue in Limon.  At that time, there were no houses west of K Avenue, only pasture and cows. Andy and Diana Sue were later additions to the family. 
Phyllis continued to teach 5th, 6th, and 2nd grades at Limon Public Schools until retiring in May 1993. After retiring, she then started a second career at the Limon Elementary School as a part-time special education reading assistant. Phyllis then went on to a third career at the Limon Child Development Center as an assistant teacher and caregiver, eventually retiring at the young age of 84. Over her multiple careers, Phyllis worked approximately 65 years touching the lives of many children and multiple generations.
Phyllis was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Limon for over 50 years. She was a member of the diaconate board, was head of the children’s education ministry which included many years as a Sunday school teacher, and directing and organizing vacation bible school.  Phyllis was also active in the American Baptist Churches and the American Baptist Women’s Association (ABW). Phyllis was a member of the Flagler Baptist Church and later moved her church membership to the Hi-Plains Baptist Church. Phyllis was very passionate about serving on the Gift of Life Foundation Board, even mastering e-mail in order to do so. Phyllis’s daily walk with her Lord and Savior was the guiding force in her life.
Phyllis and Don often enjoyed traveling to see her father in Princeton, Kansas, her grandmother in Seneca, Missouri, and her sister, Eva, in Towanda, Kansas. She loved spending time with her children, granddaughters, and great-grandchildren. Phyllis took an adventure of a lifetime when she went to Europe with her daughter, Susie, in 1996. She spent time fishing with the family, but never put a pole in the water or cleaned a fish. The famous Sunday fish fries are a favorite family memory. 
Phyllis Irene Hugley went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, May 12, 2019.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; her parents, Grover (Al) and Eunice Morgan; siblings, Marvin Morgan, Eva Hall, and Mary Ruth Morgan. She is remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt. She is survived by her son, Claud Hugley and his wife, Terri, of Black Forest; son Andy Hugley and his wife, Diane, of Hot Sulphur Springs; and daughter Diana Hugley-Hay and her husband, Wes Hay, of Steamboat Springs. Phyllis is also survived by five granddaughters: Nikki Kiedrowski, Jackie Hugley, Amanda Hugley, Becca Bailey, and Alyssa Hay; as well as by five great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Donations may be made to the Hi-Plains Baptist Church, P.O. Box 158, Limon CO, 80828 or The Gift of Life Foundation. P.O. Box 245, Hugo, CO 80821