Barbara "Barbie" Joan Hughes

Barbara (“Barbie”) Joan Hughes, 93, of Belton, MO, wife of the late Malcolm Hughes, was ushered into the presence of Jesus on June 1, 2024, at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, KS, following a heart attack due to congestive heart failure.

Barbie was born October 5, 1930, to James and Myrtle Stroup in Holmes, IA. She graduated from high school in Clarion, IA, and attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, IA, and Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School in Minneapolis, MN. She served with The Navigators in Japan, California, and Colorado Springs when she was single. Upon her marriage to Malcolm, they served together in Bolivia with Wycliffe Bible Translators and in Norfolk, VA, with The Navigators. She reveled in her role as wife and mother of four daughters. While living in Hedrick and Albia, IA, she was actively involved with her local church as a Sunday school teacher, Bible quizzing coach, children’s Bible club leader, and a board member for Child Evangelism Fellowship in southern Iowa. Her passion was to make salvation known through Jesus Christ to everyone and especially to train the younger generations to walk in His ways. In Albia, IA, where Malcolm worked as a postmaster, and they lived for many years, she enjoyed taking walks on their country road and gardening. Afterward, she lived near her daughters in Cross Roads, TX, and Belton, MO, until her passing.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 57 years. She is survived by her daughters, Ruth (and Barry) Nelson of Tracy, MN, Valori Morrison-Liu of Cross Roads, TX (and Simon Liu of China), Pamala (and Todd) Price and Kim (and Dan) Sharp, both of Belton, MO, and her sister, Beverly Feiker of Escondido, CA, 35 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Visitation and celebration services will be at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively, on Friday, June 7, 2024, at Southland Baptist Church, 16205 Vicie Ave., Belton, MO. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Bibles for the World (biblesfortheworld.org).