Edward Culver Hughes Jr.

Edward C. Hughes Jr., age 86, unexpectedly passed away October 4th, 2016 at his home in Plains, MT. Ed was born December 13, 1929 in Kellogg, ID, to Ed C. Hughes Sr. and Nellie Hughes. The family moved to Princeton, MT where Ed attended grade school in Maxville in a one room school house. He later attended Hellgate High School in Missoula thru his sophomore year. His father was a mining prospector and owned and operated several mines throughout Montana, all while teaching Ed how to be an underground hard rock miner. It was his junior year that he left school to be a miner. Ed rolled into Butte December 6th, 1947, and applied for a hard rock miner position. He was told he had the job but would have to wait one week until he turned 18 to go on shift. So on his 18th birthday he went underground, and was the youngest miner on the hill out of 5000 miners for a day. Ed met Wilma waitressing in a diner in Dillon, MT and later married, having four sons, Mike, Pat, Bret, and Kelly. Ed started a housing pre-fab company in Butte in 1956, eventually winding up under the ownership of Anaconda Copper Co., who later sold it to Boise Cascade. Today these homes are known nationwide as Boise Cascade Homes. Ed eventually settled in Post Falls, ID where he raised his four boys. Ed developed numerous subdivisions and built many homes in the Post Falls, Couer d Alene area. He was always an adventurous entrepreneur. In 1973 he built and owned a floating restaurant on Couer d Alene Lake, called The Green Dolphin. Ed loved to travel and explore. He once traveled to Australia by himself exploring the entire country. Ed loved the water, and this inspired him to build and own a cabin in Kona, HI, on the beach in Mulage Mexico and on Paradise Island, Paradise, MT. One of Eds favorite things to do was go Honky-Tonkin. He loved to dance. Sometimes going out and dancing every night of the week. Ed was the most generous kind man you would ever meet. He was not only a father to his 4 boys, but also a father figure to many who knew him. We miss you and love you Dad. We will always remember those Labor Day weekends with hundreds of people on Paradise Island. Ed was preceded in death by his father, Ed Sr., mother Nellie, and his brother Curt. He is survived by his four sons, Mike (Susan) Hughes, Pat Hughes, Bret (Becky) Hughes, Kelly Hughes. His loving companion Jerre Stephens, Wilma Higgins, and 6 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. Services will be held on Paradise Island, Paradise, Montana Sunday October 9th at 1pm.

Service Information Funeral Service Sunday October 9, 2016 1:00 PM Paradise Island Paradise, Montana