June Hughes - Jan 24 2012 book page
June Hughes
Age 82
June Hughes was born in Northampton, England (near London) in 1929. Her mother was a semi-invalid with chronic heart problems and her father was a successful dental surgeon. She had a brother 16 months older who died recently. The family lived in a large house with 2 live-in maids, but when World War II began, the government required the maids to go to work in defense plants. "My mother got permission for me to leave school when I was 9 1/2 to look after the house, nurse her and my brother and my 'becoming' alcoholic father. I don't know why she did that. So, I've never had any education after nine years old, never went back to school." During the next few years her mother had numerous heart attacks and her father became seriously alcoholic to the point that he was unable to practice medicine and gambled away most of his assets. Meanwhile London was under siege with bombs falling nearby. When June was 21 her mother died; 6 months later her father committed suicide. Her brother married and moved away leaving no close relatives for June to rely on. "So there I am thrown into the world, he'd squandered most of the money, no education and no family."
June made her own way from that point on for the rest of her life. She initially found a job in a country house where she did housekeeping and cooking. She met a man, married and had a daughter, but realized she had made a mistake with the marriage. She divorced after 3 years, when her daughter was one year old. Next she worked for a homeopathic doctor for 7 years. She found a job in a chateau in the Loire Valley of France that was the home of former president Giscard d’Estaing and then occupied by his son-in-law. She cooked there during summers and holidays. When her daughter was a teenager, she came along to work as a waitress. During this period she also worked in the UK at the Dartmouth Royal Naval College as a cook. She was the only woman employed there.
When her daughter was 19 and starting college in London, June decided to travel. Through her employers in France she found a job with Stewart Title in Houston, TX, and moved there in 1979. She also worked for the British Consulate in Houston cooking for parties and events. During the 1980’s she got a job with the Saudi royal family managing the outfitting of a huge house on Gessner. She had her own suite and a nearly-unlimited checkbook, but eventually the noise of all-night parties forced her to get her own apartment elsewhere. Then in 1986 she travelled extensively through Africa. Next she found an opportunity to look after the elderly matriarch of the Gould family in Conway, NH. She lived there for 2 years until the lady died. She worked for Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY for several years and was able to participate in some of their retreat offerings.
June was introduced to a Scotsman, Jim Glendenning, who wanted to open a Bed & Breakfast in west Texas. Together they operated a B&B in Alpine for 6 years, where June did all the cooking. However, June no longer had a valid resident visa and decided to go back to England. She started a gardening business in Bristol. Next she travelled to New Zealand in 1998 at age 70, where she joined WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) and spent 6 months working on 26 different organic farms. She loved living and travelling in New Zealand. Meanwhile, her daughter had moved to the US after completing her BA in London, got a Masters in Wildlife Biology at Colorado State Univ., took a job with Texas Parks and Wildlife and married a Texan. Now June’s daughter was able to sponsor her for a US permanent resident visa, so June came back to Houston after 2 years away from the U.S., and got a job at Buchanan’s Nursery. In 1999 she changed to a job at Garden Gate Nursery in Rice Village and moved into a small apartment near Rice Univ. and the Medical Center.
Today June still lives in the same small apartment not far from her daughter (now 50), son-in-law and 13-year-old granddaughter. She still works part time for Garden Gate. Her interests and activities include yoga, going to the YMCA to exercise and volunteering at Palmer Episcopal church’s Way Station for the homeless, where she cooks breakfast once a week. Friends support her for taking an annual trip to Vancouver Island for a retreat.
Two years ago, when June was approaching her 80th birthday, Andy Schatte, a real estate developer, offered to throw her a party at his large house. June got to know Andy as a fellow volunteer at the Way Station. Fifty of June's friends and acquaintances were invited to a dinner at the Schatte home. Guests were requested to bring no gifts, but were welcome to make donations to the Way Station. The resulting donations amounted to $3500!
June relates that the most traumatic experience of her life was during World War II in England where, as a pre-teen, she was looking after her disabled mother, dealing with her alcoholic father and enduring bombs dropping all around her area.
June says, "I've lived from hand to mouth most of my life. And then I had my daughter to bring up. It's amazing how you can pull yourself up. I conducted my life by: if someone offers me something, I just take it, and you never know, you never know. I've been so lucky! I've had such a wonderful life. I don't complain at all. Everybody has been wonderful to me. Everybody. I think someone has been watching over me somewhere. As long as you've got your health and strength, you can do anything."
