Lonnie Leroy Hughes, longtime resident of Sargent, Nebraska, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on September 30, 2026, at his home at the age of 86.
Lonnie was born July 29, 1940, at home north of Burwell, Nebraska, the son of Emmett E. and Mona E. (Conner) Hughes. He grew up near Ericson and Burwell and attended country school, often walking or riding a saddle horse 4½ miles to get there. Long before he owned cattle, a ranch, or a feed store, Lonnie and his brother, Dutch, were already practicing for the future. White corncobs became horses, red corncobs were Hereford cows, and sardine cans served as pickups. The boys also spent plenty of time “trading” their valuables, including marbles and pieces of broken glass, with colored glass being the most valuable.
Lonnie was known as “Swede” in his younger years and, by all accounts, started life as a rather shy and quiet boy. That quiet boy eventually grew into a man with a quick wit, a mischievous sense of humor, an enormous work ethic, and an even bigger, tender heart.
He graduated from Burwell High School in 1957 at just 16 years of age. After graduation, Lonnie headed toward Merriman, Nebraska, where he began working on ranches and learning the cattle business that would remain an important part of his life for more than five decades.
On January 24, 1959, Lonnie married Kathleen L. “Kathie” Dunkel in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. One of the stories Lonnie was most proud to tell was that the two of them began married life with $20 in their pocket and two car payments behind. From that humble beginning, they built a life together that included five children, a successful business, a respected cattle operation, a ranch, a beautiful home in Sargent, and 67 years of marriage.
Their first home was in Crookston, Nebraska. By 1960, Lonnie and Kathie were working for Ralph Arnot on a ranch west of Merriman. With Ralph’s help, Lonnie and Kathie began their own cattle herd with two cows and two calves. From those modest beginnings, the herd grew steadily over the next 50 years and became one of the great constants of Lonnie’s life.
In 1969, Lonnie and Kathie purchased a farm west of Sargent and moved their family there. Lonnie began working at the local CO-OP, where he worked at the elevator, delivered propane, and eventually became manager of the Fertilizer Plant in 1973.
In 1979, Lonnie and Kathie purchased Howard Feed Store and reopened it as Hughes Feed and Supply. They owned and operated the business until 2006. Those years brought plenty of hard work, but they also brought some of the family’s favorite memories.
Hughes Feed became known for more than feed and supplies. There were Christmas and New Year’s parties that people looked forward to every year, sometimes enough that a husband or two may have gotten in trouble for still being at Hughes Feed when his wife thought he should have been home. There was also the famous candy drawer, known by nearly every kid in town and by generations of customers’ children. Kids would come through the door and head straight for the candy drawer before their parents even had a chance to set foot in the building.
In 1982, Lonnie and Kathie lost their home to a fire. They later sold the property west of Sargent and purchased a ranch north of town, where they continued raising cattle.
After retiring from Hughes Feed and Supply in 2006, Lonnie and Kathie continued their cow-calf operation for a few more years. They then gradually reduced the size of the herd before eventually selling out completely. In 2012, after more than 50 years of raising cattle, they moved from the ranch into their home in Sargent.
Life with Lonnie was seldom dull. Riding with him in any type of farm vehicle could be an adventure in itself. There were times when the safer choice appeared to be getting out and walking rather than continuing down the road, pasture, ditch, or hillside on only two of the vehicle’s four wheels.
Lonnie often told the story of the day he and his older brother, Gerald, got into trouble and decided to taunt their mother with, “Ha, ha, ha, you can’t catch me.” Their mother accepted the challenge. She took off after them, caught Lonnie at a dead run, paddled him without ever breaking her stride, set him back down, and kept right on running. Over a fence and up a sandhill she went until she caught Gerald and gave him the same punishment. As Lonnie always remembered it, “She never broke her stride.” It may have been one of his earliest lessons that no matter how fast you thought you were, Mom could still be faster.
Lonnie was deeply committed to the communities where he lived. While living near Merriman, he was an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where he served as a lay reader. After moving to Sargent, he served his community in many ways, including as a volunteer rural firefighter, member of the Elks Lodge and Chamber of Commerce, member of the Sargent School Board, participant in the Township Roads Department, and member of the Controlled Burn Group.
Sports were another lifelong interest. Lonnie loved baseball, playing on a team in Merriman and later playing softball in Sargent. He remained a devoted Houston Astros fan throughout his life. He also enjoyed roping and belonged to roping clubs in both Merriman and the Taylor area. Bowling was another favorite, and he participated in several bowling leagues over the years. When he was not participating himself, he could often be found watching Husker football and volleyball.
Lonnie knew how to enjoy the quieter moments too. He loved old western movies, Daniel O’Donnell music, horseshoes, dancing and square dancing, playing cards, cribbage, and, when the opportunity arose, a little gambling.
Cards and games were a big part of family life. Lonnie and his brother Gerald played pinochle nearly every Sunday for years. Cribbage also became a family tradition, and Lonnie taught his children and many of his grandchildren to play. There was, however, one notable exception—the math teacher—who, according to family legend, simply could not keep up with the speed at which Lonnie counted the cards.
Put and Take Jacks was another family favorite. Lonnie was always eager to teach the game to someone new, and over the years a few players even earned nicknames that stayed with them long after the game was over.
Lonnie loved jokes, practical jokes, funny stories, tongue-twisters, and anything that might get a laugh. He taught the grandchildren songs, stories, sayings, and tongue-twisters he remembered from his own childhood. His favorite expressions and one-liners became affectionately known throughout the family as “Lonnie-isms” and will no doubt be repeated for generations to come.
One of his standard responses when someone asked, “How are you today?” was simply, “Ole, fat and ugly.” It was usually delivered with exactly the right expression and timing to make everyone laugh.
For all his joking, Lonnie had a deeply sentimental side. He loved to visit and treasured the many lifelong friendships he made along the way. He was proud of the life he and Kathie had built together and rarely missed an opportunity to reach for her hand.
Together, Lonnie and Kathie raised five children: Rockie, Barbara, Jami, Vedah, and Lanna. Nephews Tyler and Travis Hughes spent many summers with the family growing up and came to hold a special place in Lonnie and Kathie’s hearts, much like additional sons. Alex Horky also holds a very special place in their lives. Over the years, the family grew to include grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and generations who learned very quickly that life around Grandpa Lonnie usually included a joke, a story, a little teasing, and a great deal of love.
Lonnie was very proud of his children. Education was important to him because he wanted each of them to have the opportunity to build a better life, be independent, and have a strong foundation for the future. In his own way, he made sure they had the tools they needed to stand on their own feet and make their own way in life.
When Lonnie looked back over his life, the greatest measure of what he and Kathie had built was not what they owned, but the people and relationships that filled it. It was the family around them, the friendships that lasted for decades, the stories everyone still tells, the laughter that usually followed Lonnie into a room, and the hand he was still reaching for after all those years — Kathie’s.
Those left to celebrate Lonnie’s life include his wife, Kathie of Sargent; his son and daughter-in-law, Rockie and Angela Hughes of Sargent; four daughters and sons-in-law, Barbara and Brian Felt of Aurora, Colorado, Jami and Clayne Tyler of Orofino, Idaho, Vedah and Allen Fales of Merna, and Lanna and Matt Zulkoski of Scottsbluff; eleven grandchildren, Michael Hughes of Lincoln, Loni Hughes of Lincoln, Justin Hughes of Sargent, Sarah (Cambell) and Jordan Beard of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Colten Fales of Des Moines, Iowa, Clinten and Stella Fales of Broken Bow, Joshua and Shania Zulkoski of Minatare, McKenna (Zulkoski) and Braydon Parriott of Bayard, Jed Zulkoski, Logan Zulkoski, and Kellan Zulkoski of Scottsbluff; multiple great-grandchildren; his brother and sister-in-law, Norman “Dutch” and Cindy Hughes of McCook; sister-in-law, Arlene Hughes of Sargent; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Emmett and Mona Hughes; his brother, Gerald Hughes; three sisters and brothers-in-law, Marcene and Loren “Squirt” Livermore, Darlene and William “Bill” Gumb, and Berdine and Zane Lewis; and his parents-in-law, George and Norma (Gumb) Dunkel.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in the Event Center at the Burwell Rodeo Grounds. Alan Petersen and Jack Gumb will officiate. Interment will be in the Cottonwood Cemetery at Burwell, Nebraska. Visitation will be held on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Event Center. Memorials in Lonnie’s honor will be determined by the family at a later date. Still Waters Funeral Parlor is assisting with the arrangements. Condolences may be left at stillwatersfuneralparlor.com
