Mary Louise Vansant Hughes, 90, passed away peacefully at her home in Vale, SD, on May 10, 2015. Mary Lou was born on March 24, 1925, to James and Jewell (Lovinggood) Vansant. She spent an idyllic childhood in Dewey, OK, where her beloved father practiced medicine for nearly 50 years.
After graduating from Dewey High School in 1943, Mary Lou spent her freshman year at Southwestern College in Winfield, KS, majoring in music. She then transferred to Kansas University in Lawrence, KS, and became an English major. Throughout her life, Mary Lou upheld the sanctity of the English language, freely chastising any poor soul who dared violate "the rules". Transferring to KU proved to be a turning point in Mary Lou's life; it was there she met her soulmate, Harry Lewis Hughes. On February 7, 1947, Mary Lou and Harry were married in Danforth Chapel, on the KU campus.
The couple began their "gypsy lives" in 1954, when Harry entered the Foreign Service. They were posted in South America (Chile and Uruguay), Africa (Benin, Chad and South Africa), and the Caribbean (Haiti). Learning everything possible about the local culture and art was Mary Lou's passion. While living in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Mary Lou collected over 100 paintings and other art objects. That superb collection, which Mary Lou donated to KU's Spencer Museum, gained even more importance after the earthquake in Haiti destroyed most of the art housed in the country's museums.
Following Harry's retirement, he and Mary Lou settled in Lawrence, KS, home of their alma mater. They thoroughly enjoyed the 20 years spent there, which included yearly trips to Villa Malu, their seaside home in Spain. One of Mary Lou's favorite activities was volunteering as a docent at the Spencer Museum; she particularly relished giving tours to groups of school children. In June 2012, Mary Lou and Harry moved to the great plains of South Dakota to be near their daughter and her family.
Mary Lou was brave, resilient, curious, and she embodied an enormous "joie de vivre". Her survivors include daughter Amy (Greg Pauley) and grandson Ethan; son Roger (Renee Martonik) and grandson Rex; a number of nephews and nieces; and her extended family of caregivers - especially long-time "angels" Judy, Linda, Donise and Nancy. She was preceded in death by husband Harry, son Jeff, daughter Connie, parents James and Jewell Vansant, brother James, and sister Martha.
Mary Lou's ashes will be laid to rest in the Vale Cemetery during a private family gathering. A memorial has been established with Hospice of the Northern Hills.