Special to The Mississippi Link
Hughes Clayton, a hallmark member of the Clinton Separate School District community and a life-long resident of Jackson succumbed on Wednesday, April 29. Funeral Services are entrusted to Lakeover Funeral Home with a public viewing scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. and a Friends and Family Hour from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 7 at Lakeover Chapel on Beasley Road.
The Homegoing Celebration will be held on Friday, May 8 at 12 p.m. at the Greater Northside Missionary Baptist Church located at 1553 Wiggins Road in west Jackson.
Clayton was the sixth son and the seventh of eight children born to Birt Clayton and Eunice Griffin in Sunflower County in 1922. He began his early education at the Conway Elementary and Junior High School in Conway, Miss.
His high school tract was interrupted due to the military draft in May 1943. At the time of his draft into the United States Army in June of 1943, his service stint is chronicled from Camp Shelby, Miss. (1943) to Liverpool, England; Glasgow, Scotland, Belfast, Northern Ireland, South Hampton, England, the English Channel to Shaumburg (Germany) and Epinal France until the war ended.
He returned to the United States and was separated from the Army in 1946 and received an Honorable Discharge with the following medals of honor: the FAME Medal; the Good Conduct Medal; the World War Victory Medal; the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars; and the 500-point Part Battalion.
Following his graduation from high school, he sojourneyed to Jackson State College for Negro Teachers to pursue a degree in elementary education. Having completed the undergraduate degree requirements for the teaching degree in the summer of 1950, he was licensed to teach on both the elementary and secondary levels.
Clayton’s first position is highlighted in the annals of the Magee Attendance Center as an elementary teacher and basketball coach under the principalship of the late Frederick D. Casher. He remained there for two years prior to transitioning to the Edwards Attendance Center in 1952 under the principalship of the late Leroy P. Johnson.
Between the years of teaching at Magee and Edwards, he matriculated at the Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa) to pursue a Master’s degree in Education. During this time, Clayton was approached by the late Judge Manship to consider a position with the city of Jackson as a youth counselor. He was not accepted as a candidate and denied a position by the late Allen C. Thompson, former Mayor of the City of Jackson. Without a job and a wife to support, Clayton was recommended by the late B. Baldwin Dansby and Eva Y. Woodard, members of the board of Bethlehem Center, to accept him for a position there as a boys’ worker. Clayton held this position for two years after which he sought without success, employment in the Detroit school system.
He returned to Jackson in January, 1957. In the same year, Clayton completed the Master’s degree in Counseling from the Indiana University. The following September, he accepted the position of Counselor at Sumner Hill High School, again co-laboring with his friend, Leroy P. Johnson as principal. Clayton remained at Sumner Hill, enjoying a 27-year stint, retiring in May 1984.
Throughout his active years at Northside Missionary Baptist Church, Hughes Clayton taught the Brotherhood Bible Class. He crafted a financial plan with Robert Anthony and James Weathersby to build and remodel this church. The three of them were the architects of the Annual Men’s Day Program which occurred each second Sunday in August. Hughes also sang second tenor in the male chorus and served as one of the official greeters of the Greeters Committee.
Hughes Clayton has been actively engaged and involved in numerous community, social and civic organizations. He has been a noted member of: the Jackson Branch NAACP; YMCA; past member of Beta Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
In 1948, Clayton was introduced to his English teacher at Jackson State, Luana Jean Franklin by one of his teachers Dr. Bruce Welch who predicted that they would marry and enjoy a happy life. This has proved true for 59 years.
To this union, the twin girls – Maria Frazier (Hillman) and Melissa Kaye were born in March, 1955. A son, Michael Lyndon, Retired Staff Sargent (Phyllis) was born in January, 1957. Hughes and Luana are grandparents to: Tasheka Gwynette, Kamilia Michelle (Demetrius) and Shanetta Latrice C. Burrell (Terry); Julian Todd (Erica) and Gabrielle Patrice and great-grandchildren Alexe Michelle McFarland; Javan and Jamar Burrell; Demetrius Blake; and Kristopher Julian Frazier. In addition to the above mentioned children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Hughes is also survived by three sisters in-law: Pauline C. Clayton (Charlie); Dorothy H. Clayton (Bulice); and Geneva H. Clayton (Buster); seven nephews; nine nieces; a host of friends; special God children, Thaddeus and Gloria Jones, J.C. Thomas, Dr. Wanda Morgan, Dr. Brenda K. Anderson, Cousin Janice and Edward McBride and Kristie Jurisch.
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