HomeMy WebLinkAbout22-044 RESOLUTION NO. 22-044
A RESOLUTION HONORING FRANCES HERNANDEZ HUGHES FOR BEING THE OLDEST KNOWN RESIDENT
OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY AND FOR HER MANY YEARS OF FAITHFUL AND DEDICATED SERVICE IN
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida, has made the
following determinations:
1. Frances Hernandez Hughes was born in December 1917 and just turned 104 years old.
2. She immigrated from Mexico in 1953 to Miami, Florida.
I 3. Ms. Hughes moved from Miami to Fort Pierce to enroll her eldest child in St. Anastasia Catholic
School's first elementary class.
4. Dedicated to her community, she was a life-long educator, fluent in Spanish, English and French.
S. In the 1970s and 1980s, she taught other Mexican families to learn the English language at Indian
River State College for over 30 years and helped them obtain housing, schooling for their children, health
services, and other needed social services. She is a caring and compassionate advocate for migrant and
immigrant children and their families.
6. Ms. Hughes was contacted by the State of Florida to be the Director of the Indian River Education
Program. This program was the first public partnership to create a migrant preschool program for children
and their families who travelled every year between Florida and Mexico and worked in the orange groves.
It began for three- and four-year-old children but she expanded the program to include daycare and after
school programs for school aged children.
7. Ms. Hughes petitioned the Bishop who served the Diocese at St. Anastasia Catholic Church for a
Hispanic Church, as they only offered one Spanish mass.
8. In 1991, Ms. Hughes began to coordinate fundraisers, sold food after masses, hosted dances and
Cinco de Mayo celebrations, Mexican heritage fairs and events, raised more than $80,000 and was able
to purchase a piece of property in Fort Pierce called the San Juan Diego Hispanic Pastoral Center. This
ministry now serves thousands of faithful throughout St. Lucie County.
9. Her children were all well-respected Florida educators.
10. In 2017, Mrs. Hughes received the Champion for Children "Power of One"Award from the Florida
Association of State and Federal Education Administrators
11. Ms. Hughes also received the first and only Indian River State College Lifetime Service Award,
presented by the IRSC president, Dr. Edwin Massey, for her years of dedication to students and the
community.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida,
does hereby honors Frances Hernandez Hughes for being our oldest know resident of St. Lucie County and
for her many years of faithful and dedicated service to St. Lucie County, Florida.
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 1st day of March 2022.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ATTES : ST. LUCIE COUNTY FLORIDA
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