Huggans, Michelle E

Michelle Elaine Huggans
Born June 7, 1949
Died April 8, 2023

Age 73 of Imperial, MO. Her husband Donald L. Huggans preceded her in death on April 10th, 2018. As well as her parents; George and Mary Lucille (Grose) Younge, her sister Kathleen (Younge) Hugely and brother in law Robert Hugely, nephew Darren Fry, brother in law David Reinke, brother in law / sister in law; John and Louise Phelan, and nephews; Ronald Phelan, Mark Phelan.

She is survived by her children; Sons; Tracy McCann, Springfield, Mo., David and Lisa Huggans, Fenton, Mo.
Daughters; Janet (Huggans) and James Dickneite, DeSoto, Mo., Angela (Huggans) and John Eigel, Crestwood, Mo., Grandchildren; Amber McCann, Miranda (Huggans) and husband Grant Green, Brennan Dickneite, Caleb Dickneite, John Eigel the 3rd and Aria Eigel, Sister and best friend; Jacqueline (Younge) Reinke, Nephew; Dan and Tracy Reinke, Niece; Laura (Reinke) and Jeremy Lunnen, Nephew; George Fry, Niece; Donna (Phelan) and Steve Smith. She is also survived by her best friend; Deanna Sturgeon.

Michelle was born to George and Lucille Younge on June 7, 1949 and was the baby of the family. She grew up in Kansas where she attended a Catholic elementary and middle school. Later moving to Kimberling City, Mo. where her father built a resort on Table Rock Lake called Lone Pine Resort. It was there in the Ozarks that she learned to drive and loved going fast around the curves of the road. This skill, later in life often made her kids feel like they were on a rollercoaster in the car. They’d raise their hands in the air as mom drove them around the curves and up and down hills, letting the car coast and hug every turn. Normally during her teen years growing up you’d find her out on the lake skiing or swimming. She loved being in the water. When she wasn’t in the lake or pool, she was working at her parents resort and helping to clean the rooms. She graduated from Reed’s Springs High School in 1967. After high school she met and married the love of her life Donald L. Huggans in Springfield MO on September 6, 1968. Michelle had a special place in her heart for children. They made her happy. So when her marriage blessed her with a son from her husband’s previous marriage, she smiled. She always considered him her son, not a step son to her or a half brother to her children. He was and is family, one hundred percent her son and she is one of his mom’s. She saw it no other way and enjoyed her relationship with him and getting to know him. She often had long talks with him as she spoke love into his life and gave him the advice that only a mother would. Being a mother came naturally to her and she was one of the very best.
Together, Michelle and her husband were blessed with three children of their own. She loved all of her children immensely and strived to be the best mother to them that she could. Her husband was employed by the Missouri Department of Transportation. In April of 1982, he was transferred to St. Louis for his job and they moved their family from Springfield Mo. to Barnhart Mo. Shortly after moving to Barnhart Mo. she began babysitting in her home for local families in the neighborhood. This was her career for several years while she raised her own children and they attended school. Her own kids always had a house full of kids to hang out and play with. Snow days and summer were of course all of the kids favorite times of the year. She’d bundle everyone up in the snow and we’d all go outside to play or load everyone up in the car and take off for the day to the Zoo, Science Center or Six Flags. A lot of patience resided within her and she loved every minute spending time with her own kids and the kids she watched. Often, she was called mom by her children’s friends. This didn’t bother her in the least, as she’d always dreamed of having a large family and decided that the next best thing was to spoil and love other people’s children. She often said “I get to spoil them and then send them home!” Many of the children she cared for in her home remained in her heart long after they aged out of her care. One very special child, Michelle Dunman Hartman, has remained a forever friend to her and is like a daughter to her and a sister to her own two daughters.
She worked at Walmart for a short time after she stopped babysitting and later retired to spend time traveling with her husband, Donald.
Her favorite color is blue and she absolutely hates the color green with the exception of sage green. In her free time she loved to spend time with her family / best friend and was normally ready for any kind of adventures that they might suggest.
She took immense joy in watching her grandchildren grow. Loved to spoil them and attend their school functions, often taking them to fun places. One of her favorite places was Culver’s. There she’d normally order a kids chicken strip meal with fries or a shrimp meal and if she was getting frozen custard, she would almost always ask for chocolate custard with marshmallow cream and cookie dough. At home she enjoyed putting together puzzles and watching her favorite TV shows; The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Big Brother. If she wasn’t putting together a puzzle or watching one of these shows you could normally find her curled up in her chair reading a romantic novel of some sort with a comfy blanket.
She enjoyed traveling with her sister Jackie and going to yard sales with her best friend Dee. She was the best mom ever to her kids and the sweetest grandma to her grandchildren. Without a doubt she was the rock of the family and the one who so many of us respected and looked up too. She is the mom that we all strive to be and want. Her love, warmth, kindness, and generosity towards others was unmatched. ❤️

Services: Visitation will take place at Kutis South County Chapel (5255 Lemay Ferry Rd, St. Louis, MO 63129) on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 from 1pm to 3pm, with a memorial service to follow at 3pm.
She will be taken to Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Springfield Mo. on a later date by her children to be laid to rest alongside her husband.