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 1894 - 1949 (54 years)
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| Name |
William Lavelle Hughes |
| Birth |
20 Nov 1894 |
Bono, Craighead County, Arkansas  [1, 2] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
30 Jul 1949 |
Blytheville, Mississippi County, Arkansas [1, 2] |
| Burial |
Elmwood Cemetery, Blytheville, Mississippi County, Arkansas [1, 2] |
| Person ID |
I42567 |
The Hennessee Family |
| Last Modified |
14 May 2015 |
| Family |
Jessie Exodus Ruffner, b. 24 Nov 1893, Walnut Ridge, Lawrence County, Arkansas d. 13 Apr 1965, Blytheville, Mississippi County, Arkansas (Age 71 years) |
| Marriage |
26 Sep 1912 |
Lawrence County, Arkansas [1] |
| Children |
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| Family ID |
F15422 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
30 Apr 2023 |
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| Notes |
- Notes for William Lavelle Hughes:
WILLIAM LAVELLE HUGHES
William Lavelle Hughes married Jesse Ruffner, they had one daughter, Anna Sue, known as Susan, and a son, Lynn. Lavelle was a builder. During the depression in the 1930's they followed Kate, Ora & Charles Ruffner to California. Jobs were very poor paying so moved back to Jonesboro, Arkansas, 21 miles from Walnut Ridge. Lavelle started up a business and became a very large builder of Swift's cotton seed oil mills, power plants, filling stations, residences, theaters, clinics, hospitals in Arkansas, Missouri and other states. He introduced the first formed concrete blocks with a seven state exclusive promotion. Susan, Lavelle's daughter, was the timekeeper on the Malone Theatre job in 1935, and worked with him in 1936 in Sikeston, Missouri before moving to Raleigh, N.C. The family moved back and forth to California, living in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Pasadena (Southwest Museum area), with Lubbock, Texas in between. Susan said she spent her third grade in Lubbock and at Mt. Washington, CA. Jesse did the bookkeeping for the Hughes business. They moved the business from Jonesboro to Blytheville, where they lived the rest of their lives.
Lynn married and worked in his dad's business and had two children. Susan moved to Dallas, Texas in 1941 and married in 1944. Susan is a artist also. Susan has a son and worked at Dallas Museum of Art until she retired.
Susan went by the Malone Theater in 1983 and it was still there.
EDUCATION: 1912 - Christian Bros. College, St. Louis, Missouri
As a interesting note from a newspaper article sent by Susan about her dad:
Hughes is Charged With Violating Blue Laws By Working Men On Sunday
August 4, 1935
Resurrecting an old ordinance the Rev. Verne F. Oglesby had construction work stopped Sunday morning by signing a complaint against W.L.Hughes, the contractor.
Work was stopped immediately after W. B. Robinson served a warrent on Mr. Hughes, who is charged with laboring on Sunday in violation of city ordinance 329. Seventeen men working at the theatre Sunday returned to their homes, and Mr. Hughes made bond of $100 for his appearance in police court.
On the same morning, W.C. Holley was arrested and charged with the same offense after Mr. Oglesby complained he was working on a house in the Chamber of Commerce addition. Holley is free on a $20 bond.
Robert Dempster, city attorney, said Monday that Mr. Hughes had told Mr. Robinson he intended to plead guilty. Mr. Dempster, in turn, told Mr. Oglesby, who when left Sunday night for a two weeks vacation in Decatur, Ill.
The report was erroneous, it was learned Monday. Roger A. Bailey has been engaged by O.W. McCutcheon, owner of the Malone and the Rex theatres, to defend Mr. Hughes at a trial, which will be held after Mr. Oglesby returns. Under a Missouri statute, Mr. Bailey will be entitled to a jury trial for his client since the case will involve a question of whether Sunday work on the Malone was necessary. It is doubtful if a jury conviction can be obtained.
Ordinance 329 was written into the city laws by Joe Moore about five years before his death, and is an almost exact copy of the state blue law which has been in effect for much longer time. It reads: "Every person who shall labor or perform any work other than the household offices of daily necessity or charity on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor."
Mr. Hughes' case will involve a question of necessity because his contract contains a penalty clause which would be effective if the Malone were not ready for occupancy on September 15, the date set in the contract for completion. Because he was delayed by lack of materials and by excessively hot weather, Mr. Hughes has been employing seventy men who work in three shifts seven days a week. Men were not compelled to work on Sunday, however, and were allowed to attend church services if they wished.
If blue law ordinance were enforced to prevent construction work on Sunday, then it could also effect the closing of filling stations and place a ban on the sale of all drug store merchandise except medicine. The movie is allowed to remain open on Sunday because of a state supreme court ruling on 1929 which declared city ordinances preventing operation of picture shows void.
A follow up article:
Dempster Dismisses Two Blue Law Suits
August 27, 1935
Suits against W.L. Hughes and W.C. Holley charging them with working on Sunday were dismissed yesterday by Robert A. Dempster, city attorney.
Mr. Dempster's action was taken following a conference with the Rev. Verne F. Oglesby, the complaining witness, who returned late last week after a vacation in Decatur, Ill.
Mr. Dempster gave no reason for dismissing the suit. It is thought, however, that Mr. Dempster failed to prosecute because of on August 11 a crew of city employees directed by C. H. Moose worked on a power line in the north part of town.
Mr. Oglesby swore out a warrent for Mr. Hughes and Mr. Holley on August 4 while Mr. Holley was working on a new house and Mr. Hughes was supervising a crew of seventeen men remodeling the Malone theatre. Both men made bonds for their appearance in police court at a police court at a hearing, which was to have been held after Mr. Oglesby's return.
Mr. Hughes and Mr. Holley were arrested for violating city ordinance 329, and old blue law which prohibits all Sunday labor except those of "household offices of daily necessity or charity" Mr. Oglesby's action caused widespread comment here and in other Southwest Missouri towns since strict enforcement of the blue laws would cause closing of most businesses operated on Sunday.
Mr. Hughes and a crew of men worked on the Malone theatre Sunday in order to finish it by a October 1.
NOTE: Information and photos/newspaper articles from Susan Hughes Brown(Daughter). Letters in possession of Kay Butcher (cousin) - 1999.
MEMORIES: John's Memories of Lavelle: Aunt Jesse and Levelle lived about 21 miles away. In those days people didn't have much money and didn't travel much. We would go to Jonesboro about once a year to see them. Lynn & Susan was a little older than I am. They had their interest and Lavelle was busy at his work so they didn't come to Walnut Ridge very often. Once I remember they came & Lavelle had a new Studebaker pickup truck. It was really nice. Just like a 2 seated car with a pickup bed on the back. It really impressed me. Lavelle was a fast driver and later turned his car over & battery acid got in his eyes and damaged them.
NOTE: Letter from John H. Ruffner (cousin), 1999 - in possession of Kay Butcher (cousin).
DEATH CERTIFICATE:
Lavelle Hughes
Born: Nov. 20, 1894
Bono, Ark.
Died: Aug. 30, 1949
Age: 54 years, 8 months, 10 days
Place of death: Blytheville, Ark.
Cause of Death: Intestinal Cancer
NOTE: Information from Death Certificate - information sent by Susan Hughes Brown (daughter) - letter in possession of Kay Butcher. 1999.
More About William Lavelle Hughes:
Burial: Elmwood Cemetery, Blytheville, AR
Cause of Death: Cancer of the Pancreas [1]
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