Randy Hughes, 62, of Bagley passed away at home on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
Funeral services will be held Monday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. in the Event Center at the Guthrie County Fairgrounds in Guthrie Center, Iowa. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 19 from 4-7 p.m. in the Event Center.
Randy Lee Hughes was born Feb. 4, 1961, in Manning, Iowa, to Larry and Jo Anne (Louk) Hughes.
They lived in Bayard for a few years before moving to their farm when Randy was in the first grade. A lifelong passion for caring for livestock, raising crops and all things farming was started here.
Little brother Jeff arrived in August 1965, and the troublemaking kicked off from there.
Randy was most proud of his classic 1978 blue Chevy Nova by the time high school came around.
He was a quadruple threat throughout his schooling, playing football, baseball, basketball and track and field.
Working locally for Strausser Hardware and shelling corn for Dick Stone, Randy’s summertimes were always busy until he graduated from the Bayard High School in 1979.
Randy clearly was always a fan of fast cars and big boobs, so let’s go racing, boys! He ran go-carts for a while, then moved onto hobby stock racing with great success. A love of Nascar and Dale Earnhart Sr. kept him close to the thrill over the years.
Shifting gears into his next passion, Randy was involved in the show cattle world all over the country by this time as well.
Coincidently, this brings him to the Iowa State Fair in the hot August days of 1982. Lynnette Leonard was in attendance also and when she saw him, nobody else had a chance. She said right then and there, ‘I’m gonna marry him!” even before knowing his name. Their fair-time love blossomed into a beautiful relationship as they attended their first fair together at Guthrie County over the Labor Day weekend. Over the years this has been quite a special place for them, as it still is now.
On June 2, 1984, they were united in marriage in Perry at the United Methodist Church. To this union two children were born, daughter Courtney in 1990 and son Cody in 1992.
Randy was always a self-sufficient type of man, so being a semi owner-operator had him trucking all over the country. He loved seeing the beautiful landscapes everywhere, something he continued to enjoy with road trips through the years.
Randy and Lynnette raised their family in Bayard for a few years, then moved to the farm in the fall of 1999. Soon enough, as farm kids do, 4-H was the next big adventure. Randy spent many long days and nights building out pens and washracks, evolving over the years into the big barn on top of the hill.
Randy always had more hobbies and passions that he was involved in, which brought in so many amazing friends from all over the Midwest and farther.
He was a firefighter with the Bayard Fire Department for several years.
Randy was a proud member of the American Quarter Horse Association, where he showed Amber, his World Show Qualifier.
He was even president of the Iowa Simmental Association for two years in addition to being a regular member of multiple breeds’ associations. The Guthrie County Cattlemen was the closest one that he loved, being the president for eight years was a true support of his community.
Randy’s mastery of the grill always made a delicious steak sandwich as it was his favorite thing to cook.
The family Randy and Lynnette have built over these last 39 years has truly been a blessing. The amount of love and support we have received through Randy’s battle with cancer these last three years has been immeasurable. #Roosterstrong🧡🐓💛
Randy is survived by his loving wife, Lynnette; best friend, Zip; daughter, Courtney; son, Cody (Dawn); father, Larry (LeeAnn); brother, Jeff (Sheila); nephew, Kyle; bonus kids, Shelby and Cole, Bailey and Kevin, Jeana and Tony and Rory and Makenna; plus nine littles who called him “Papa’s Papa;” and many more extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Jo Anne; her parents, Edgar and Irene Louk; grandparents, Idwal and Florence Hughes; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Robina and Gary Leonard.
Memorials will be given to his family for later designation and may be left at the Carris Family Funeral Home and Cremation Care. Online condolences may be left at www.carrisfuneralhome.com.
