Obituary: Owen G. Hughes

Owen G. Hughes, age 89, passed away on February 20, 2025, at the Sauk County Medical Center in Reedsburg, WI, his town of residence.

Owen, originally from Adams, ND, farmed into his teens until serving two years in the Army as a Nike Missile Technician in Milwaukee, WI. Milwaukee is where he met his wife Sandi. Owen and Sandi were married May 6, 1961, in Milwaukee’s Trinity Presbyterian Church. Together they moved to Port Washington, WI, in 1971, where they resided for 36 years until moving to Reedsburg in 2007. Sandi passed away in 2024. Owen worked primarily as a Customer Service Representative to dealers for Bolens lawn and garden equipment and Western Plows. He had been retired for the last 22 years.

Owen loved to create and fix things with his hands. He was an expert in model building and his family will tell you there was nothing he couldn't repair. He took these skills to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI, where he worked on the painting and lettering of restored railroad cars for his last 16 years.

Owen is survived by his half-sisters Alva Brown, Erna Frank, Lorna Pesek, and Marion Troftgruben; son Randall Hughes and his wife Janice; daughter Lori Penkwitz and her husband Terry. He has five wonderful grandchildren; Logan, Anna, and Jenna Penkwitz, as well as Allison and Zachary Hughes.

Visitation will be held at Grasse Funeral Home in Reedsburg from 4-7 on Friday, February 28th. Funeral services will take place at St. John’s Evangelical Church on Saturday, March 1st at 11am. Visitation will also be held at 10am at the church until the time of service. Attendees are welcome to join the family afterwards for Owen’s burial at St. John’s Cemetery and a luncheon at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Mid-Continent Railway Museum: E8948 Museum Rd., North Freedom, WI, 53951 or midcontinent.org. Online condolences may be made at www.grassefs.com. Grasse Funeral & Cremation Service is serving the family.