Hughs works during a recent City Commission meeting.
After living in Eudora for 50 years and serving on the City Commission for 12, Vice Mayor Ruth Hughs announced her retirement and plans a move to Lenexa to live with family.
Hughs moved to Eudora in 1972, working as a third grade teacher at Nottingham Elementary until 2004.
Hughs said she has fond memories of that time and loved teaching that age group. An annual celebration of Kansas Day was among many highlights of her teaching career.
After retiring from teaching, Hughs began her work with the commission in 2010, filling then-City Council member Fred Stewart’s position. She was interested in what the commission had to offer, and enjoyed the job so much, she ran for another term.
When Hughs was elected mayor in 2013, she became a part of history as the first woman mayor of Eudora.
“Being the first woman mayor was a huge honor and one that I have such good memories of,” Hughs said. “I believe that many, many other young girls and women are capable of serving on the City Commission. Eudora values women in this community.”
Ben Terwilliger, executive director of the Eudora Community Museum, said he’s thankful for Hughs’ support of the museum and the Eudora Area Historical Society. He notes the historical aspect of her role as mayor.
“I think Ruth Hughs has cemented a place in Eudora history by becoming the first female mayor,” Terwilliger said. “I’m sure when Ruth moved here 50 years ago it didn’t seem too plausible that Eudora would have a female mayor.”
Terwilliger said Hughs has accomplished many things while living in Eudora.
“Her accomplishments are pretty remarkable and certainly gives her a proud legacy here in Eudora,” Terwilliger said. “I’m sad to see her go, but I think that she’s earned her retirement as well.”
Hughs also reflected on her early years with the City Commission.
“The biggest thing was getting an ambulance, and of all the things that we’ve done, that is the one that I think has greatly impacted all ages in Eudora,” Hughs said. “It was not an easy thing to get an ambulance here.”
Hughs has championed various economic developments during her time on the commission, including the Nottingham development.
Mayor Tim Reazin said Hughs fit in well with the commission’s missions.
“She’s been my partner in crime for our visions and goals for long-term Eudora growth,” Reazin said. “We went away from the Band-Aid repairs on the community. We’re looking at long-term improvements, even if it has more cost or financial impact initially, looking at the long-term gain from it, like the Nottingham project.”
The senior population of Eudora has been a focus throughout Hughs’ career, and it’s a group she said is underserved.
“We have worked hard to make this a very senior-friendly town,” Hughs said. “We have helped start the Senior Foundation of Eudora, and I am really concerned that we continue to promote this.”
Hughs said she hopes a community for seniors to live and socialize in is developed in the future, with amenities like maintenance-free homes and a community center.
“We need to figure this out,” Hughs said. “We need to figure it out before more people have to go elsewhere to get that stuff.”
Reazin said he also wishes to create a community like the one described by Hughs.
“I’ve been trying to become an advocate for senior citizens, but until you’re in that role, her vision and view and connectivity with the community, it’s going to be really hard to replace that,” Reazin said.
During her time in town, Hughs said she believes people have become more involved in the community.
“I think that we’re a community that values strong leadership,” Hughs said. “We always need to have people be willing to run for office, whether it’s the school board or it’s the City Commission. If anything, we just don’t know who wants to do that. So, we’d like people to step up and say, ‘I’d like to serve.’ So, it’s not a lack of interest. I think it’s a lack of thinking they can do it.”
The City Commission will begin the process to fill Hughs’ seat by the time she retires at the end of May. Hughs provided some criteria she thinks any capable commissioner should fulfill, like listening more than speaking.
“They should meet with our city manager on a regular basis to find out what is going on and the backstory,” Hughs said. “Before every meeting, I meet with the city manager and the city clerk and we talk about what’s in the [agenda] packet. Being willing to serve outside of your own comfort zone, and not to come in with a pet project. An agenda is not a healthy thing to come into the commission with.”
City Manager Barack Matite has worked in Eudora for about 10 years. He said Hughs watched him grow in that time. Matite said he cherishes those meetings he had with her, since he used that time to ask about issues of concern for the senior population.
“She was our town crier,” Matite said. “She would tell people what’s going on in the community and people would go to her and she would relay those messages to staff, to me, so that we could make sure that we’re taking care of those issues.”
It’s important to bridge the gap between the city and the senior population, Matite said, and Hughs played a vital role in this.
“She made sure we knew about what seniors were going through,” Matite said. “She made sure that the seniors knew what the city was doing. I’m hoping we can be able to find a way to sustain that because oftentimes that’s a segment of our population that might not get information that the city has.”
Hughs said despite living in Lenexa, she will make frequent trips back to Eudora as her social life remains here.
“I think it’s going to be an amazing journey, to be living with my family as I age,” Hughs said. “We’re making it possible for me to age in place, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Hughs will continue to monitor progress in Eudora, and she looks forward to the town’s future.
“I think the future is brilliant for Eudora,” Hughs said. “The goal right now is to keep the small town feel, yet have a bit more businesses, have more opportunities for visitors to come and leave their money here and have a good time.”
Matite said he looks forward to continually touching base with Hughs and having conversations about important issues.
“Like she said, even though she might not sleep in Eudora, her heart and soul will still be in Eudora,” Matite said.
Reach reporter Abby Shepherd at [email protected]