Jack L. Hughes

Jack L. Hughes, 96 of Miller, passed away of natural causes, Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society, Miller, SD.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Reck Funeral Home, Miller with Rev. Robert Brooks presiding. Burial will follow in G.A.R. Cemetery, Miller. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services.

Jackie Lee Hughes, simply known as Jack to all who loved him, was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather whose easy smile and gentle humor could brighten any room. He was born, April 13, 1929, in his Wald grandparents’ home seven miles west of Pond Creek, OK. Jack was the son of William and Ova (Wald) Hughes. He grew up with a strong work ethic and a practical sense of purpose that guided him throughout his life.

On December 31, 1949, Jack married the love of his life, Leona Maxwell. They were married 68 years until she passed in 2018. Their marriage, built on steadfast devotion and shared determination, was the foundation of a family that remained the pride of Jack’s life.

Jack’s great grandparents were settlers in Oklahoma and acquired their homestead through the Cherokee strip land rush on September 16, 1893. They settled near Pond Creek, OK. Jack was proud of his southern heritage and never lost his slow southern drawl. He grew up in Jet, OK attended school there before graduating from Jet High School with the class of 1947.

A man of several trades, Jack was a butcher, custom combiner, and a farmer; roles that perfectly fit his capable hands and tireless spirit. He knew every highway in the United States, or at least it seemed that way, and he traveled most of them during his years on the custom combining trail. The long roads, wide fields, and open skies became part of his story, and he loved to share that world with his family, all working together. Whether fixing machinery, harvesting under hot summer suns, or cutting meat with a craftsman’s care, Jack brought diligence and pride to every day’s work. His love of farming is what brought him to South Dakota.  He bought a farm big enough to fulfill his dream of farming with his sons. Jack also grew up with horses. He was an avid horseman. He always had horses for himself and his family to ride.

Jack will be remembered for his ready grin and his ability to make people smile, no matter the circumstance. He was a hard worker who believed in showing up, doing the job right, and loving his family above all. He cherished time spent with his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the youngest additions to the family, and took great joy in watching each new generation grow.

Jack is survived by his children: Bill (Tonna) Hughes, Ree Heights, Jackie (Jim) Keller, Trail City, John (Betty) Hughes, Whitewood, and Brenda (Ron) Pechacek, Burnet, TX; 14 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Leona (Maxwell) Hughes; parents: William and Ova (Wald) Hughes; and one sister, Connie Borgeous.

In honoring Jack’s life, his family and friends remember a man who worked hard, loved deeply, and found beauty along the roads he traveled. May his memory be a blessing and his legacy continue in the lives he touched.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Jack’s arrangements.