Honoring the Memory
of Those
We Love

Eula Irene Hughes was born on June 5, 1922 to Lilah and Joseph Allen Hughes in New Bern, North Carolina. Eula was one of 11 children. In addition to Eula, Verdi, Carrie, Doris, Letha, Roger, Otis, Vivian, and Daisy survived to adulthood, although Verdi died giving birth. Eula was the youngest of the surviving children, and has been pre-deceased by all her siblings.

Although her childhood was spent partially during the great depression, she had a happy childhood and said that they always had enough to eat because they were a farming family. Eula graduated from Farm Life High School in Vanceboro, North Carolina, at the age of 16. She was the valedictorian of her class.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Eula became employed selling magazine subscriptions. She was part of a sales team that traveled around the United States and later sold subscriptions in South America as well. When the United States entered World War II on December 7, 1941, she had to return to the United States for security reasons.

Eula was selling magazine subscriptions in Detroit when she met her first husband, Marius Albert Rousseau (1907-1976). A few months after meeting Marius, she and he were married in Hagerstown, Maryland, in September 1942. After their marriage, they first resided in Wellington Heights, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They then lived in Carrick for four years.

Eula and Marius had three children: Amelya Ann, born December 11,1943, Samuel Allen, born June 7,1948, and Thomas Randall, born September 12,1959.

In 1948, the family moved to Baldwin in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh. Eula was a homemaker, while Marius was at first a general contractor and later owned a model train and hardware store named Woodruff’s. During this time, Eula was very active in her children’s lives and in the community. She was a Girl Scout troop leader, Girl Scout Community Leader, and girls’ softball coach. She had memberships in Hamilton Presbyterian Church, the South Suburban Women’s Club, Whitehall Country Club, the Train Collectors’ Association, and the Home Builders’ Association. She also worked part-time at Whitehall Junior High School.

In 1967, the family moved to Upper St. Clair where Eula resided for the rest of her life. After Marius’s stroke in 1970, she took care of him and helped Sam run the family business, Trains and Things. She was also a Cub Scout den mother and volunteered with the Hospitality Network. She proudly joined the Daughters of the American Revolution.

While visiting her son, Tom, at Valley Forge Military Academy, she met his math instructor, Lt. Colonel Merton (Chip) Eldridge Church (Ret.) Merton expressed an interest in her and some time later they began a relationship. They were married and were together until his death in September 1992.

After moving to Upper St. Clair, Eula decided to resume her education which had been interrupted by World War II. She graduated from Allegheny Community College with an AA degree in General Studies. Subsequently, she graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in Journalism. She earned academic honors at both schools.

Eula had an adventuresome spirit and loved nature and being outdoors. She satisfied her desire for adventure by extensive traveling throughout four continents: North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. From climbing the Pueblo cliff dwellings, to hot air ballooning, to kissing the Blarney stone, to para sailing, to riding a camel in Egypt, if there was something exciting and interesting to do, Eula was ready for it.

Because of her love of nature, Eula enjoyed gardening and would plant extensive, beautiful flower beds around the house. She made sure the lawn was always green and manicured, and delighted in the tomatoes she raised on the front porch. She enjoyed feeding and watching the many birds who visited the back patio and was especially happy when the deer came to visit.

Eula was a loyal and devoted wife to both her husbands and a loving and supportive mother to her three children as well as a kind and caring person who was interested in others, strangers as well as family and friends.

She accomplished much in her long lifetime. She once said that she did pretty well for a little farm girl. Yes, she certainly did.

Eula died peacefully on March 31, 2022 at the age of 99. She will be greatly missed by her loving children, her extended family, and all who knew her. Friends will be received at the John F. Slater Funeral Home, Inc., 412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Rd., Brentwood 15227, Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. where funeral services will be held in the Chapel on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. If desired, family suggests contributions to Hamilton Presbyterian Church 4500 Hamilton Rd. Pgh., PA 15236.