Verla L. Hughes, 67, Box Elder, died Wednesday, November 17, 2010, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis with Rev. Denzel Nonhof and Pastor Harold Delbridge officiating. Inurnment will be in the White Owl Cemetery.

Verla was born May 18, 1943, in Lead, SD, to Orville and Fleta (Longland) Pickerd. She was married to Fritz Hughes on July 11, 1960. She started out as a farm wife near Plainview, SD, and had seven children: 2 girls and 5 boys. They moved to Hot Springs in 1979 where Verla worked and did ceramics for Bulah Donell in her shop. In 1981, they moved to Sturgis and Verla worked in home health and as a nurses aide. They moved to Nisland in 1993 where Verla raised bum lambs and had a goat herd. They moved to Box Elder in 2006.

Verla enjoyed sewing, painting, decorating cakes, doing craft projects, and tending to her flower garden. She loved spending time with her grandkids. While in Nisland, she especially enjoyed tending to her goat herd.

She is survived by her husband, Fritz Hughes, Box Elder; two daughters, Melodie (Clyde) Petersen, Rochester, WA, and Doreen Hughes, Box Elder; four sons, Tim Hughes, Sturgis, Tom Hughes, St. Onge, John (Shauna) Hughes, Box Elder, and Marty Hughes, Sturgis; 12 grandchildren, Jeremi Hughes, Jerid Zila, Jake Hughes, Austin Hughes, Samantha Hughes, Tanner Hughes, Kyle Hughes, Brittany Gonzales, Mariah Gonzales, Dusty Hughes, Mariah Hughes, and Nicole Hughes; her mother, Fleta Hathaway of Wisconsin; two sisters, Patty Bousa, Belle Fourche, and Alice Hockett, Watertown, WI; one brother, Albert Pickerd, Sundance, WY; one half-sister, Ellen Ellsasser, Gillette, WY; and three half-brothers, Jim Hockett, Denver, CO, Tim Hockett, Watertown, WI, and Everett Hockett, Watertown, WI.

She was preceded in death by her father, Orville Pickerd; step-mother, Mary Pickerd; brother, Orville Lee Pickerd; and one son, Brian Hughes.