Visitation:
During Office Hours ~ 9:00 to 4:00
On Wednesday, February 8, 2017, Otis Leon Hughen, aged 90, went to join our Heavenly Father. At the time of his passing, he had his wife, Charline Rushing Hughen, his children and his pastor by his side.
He was born October 26, 1926 in Jonesboro, LA to Herman Otis and Vera May (Conn) Hughen. He was the second of three children they would have. His eldest brother, Herman Osler Hughen was born Aug 16, 1925. A little sister, Marjorie Lois Hughen, was born on Dec 5, 1928. The family remained in Jonesboro until the children were teenagers, and then relocated to Shreveport, LA in 1944. In August of that same year, Otis convinced his parents to give their permission to join the Army before his 18th birthday. He proudly served in World War II and would become a Tech Sargent before being honorably discharged in 1946. He returned home and went to work alongside his dad as a carpenter building houses.
Otis' family was faithful in attending church. It was here in 1948 that he would meet his future bride and the minister's daughter, Charline Rushing, as she played the piano. He told her to "move over" on the piano seat and then joined her as she played. After dating for the next couple of years, they were joined in marriage on April 26, 1950 by Rev John Gilbert Rushing, the bride's father.
They remained in Shreveport and soon had a daughter, Linda Kay Hughen, born April 10, 1951. Then, on February 2, 1953, the little family added a son, Otis Leon Hughen, Jr. After his dad was killed in a car wreck in May, 1960, Otis would decide to go to college. He chose Louisiana Technical University in Ruston, LA and attended there from 1960 to 1965, going home to Shreveport on the weekends. He graduated as an Electrical Engineer. Immediately he was offered a job with Eastman Kodak in Kingsport, TN. Not satisfied with the relocation, he next accepted a job at Tinker AFB in Midwest City, OK. Jodi Lynn Hughen was born here on May 29, 1970. Once Jodi graduated and married, Otis and Charline then decided to move to Vici, OK where their son lived. Otis had wanted to be back in the country for some time, so this move would be something of a dream come true.
Among other things, Otis enjoyed camping, skiing and shooting in his younger years. He also liked growing things and began planting trees, especially pecan trees, every place he lived.
One accomplishment he took much pride in was being an avid blood donor. For many years he donated through the military base and, after retirement, he began donating at the Oklahoma Blood Institute where he would eventually earn his 10+ gallon donor pin. In all, he would donate over 200 units of blood.
Besides being predeceased by his brother before his own birth, he was also predeceased by his father in 1960 and later by his mother in 1977; granddaughter, Jennifer Hughen; sister, Marjorie McKinney.
He is survived by his wife, Charline Hughen , Linda Kay French, Otis Leon Hughen, JR and his wife Pamela Hughen, all of Vici. Jodi Hughen-Green and her husband, Chris Green reside in Tuttle, OK. He has an extended family which includes ten grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by both relatives and friends.