Danna Hughes

Danna Charlene Kennon-Driggs-Hughes died July 9, 2023, in Prescott, Arizona.

Danna was born in Pasadena, California on April 7, 1945, to William “Bill” Kennon and Dorothy Robbins-Kennon. She married childhood sweetheart, Ronald B. Driggs on November 22, 1964, and had 2 sons Ronald William Driggs and Darren Daniel Driggs.

Danna had an adventurous life. First beginning with Ronald Driggs, 1964-1975 (Divorced yet remained extremely close friends), then with Robert “Bob” Hughes in 1980-2001 (Widowed). She had her third son, Robert “Bobby” David Hughes with Bob. They traveled many places, Montana, Alaska, Oregon, Louisiana, Arizona before settling down in a little town in North Eastern Washington State called Republic in late 1991. Danna first opened a store in Republic directly across from the Town Park called Just-Clownin-Around, where she sold handmade crocheted Clowns. They lived there for a few months, behind the store while they built their house off Lambert Creek Rd.

Soon Danna and Bob saw the need for Veteran services in Ferry, Stevens and Okanogan Counties and began working on setting up a Veterans Center just outside Republic and conducting Veteran Stand-Downs, providing much needed resources and assistance to the areas veterans. In 1998, they bought 3 acres off Trout Creek Rd and began developing the vet center. Sadly her husband Bob passed away in 2001 from a Glioblastoma Brain Tumor caused by his exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. Danna still pressed on to develop the Vet Center. In 2002, she lost her Father, William Kennon. Still she pressed on. In 2003, her son, Bobby Hughes, passed away in their home. Still Danna pressed on always staying focused on helping our countries Veterans. She built a Chapel on the property, got a Mobile Office donated, water and power set up and the septic system installed and began holding the annual “Let Freedom Ring” Memorial Day event there at the Ferry County Mountain Veterans Center. She is the founder and President of Vietnam Veterans Wives, a 501(c)19 Veterans Non-Profit group dedicated to helping Veterans and their families and an Accredited Service Officer under general council. Danna helped over 7000+ Veterans with their Claims and fought to ensure every Veteran was afforded the opportunity to receive the medical and financial help they so desperately needed and earned. She spoke to the Institute of Medicine and worked with many WA Representatives and Congressmen about the effects Agent Orange had on our Nations Vietnam Veterans, thus assisting in the Veterans Administration recognizing the various cancers exposure to Agent Orange caused and thus their granting a Service Connection for it. Danna was always a “Bulldog” when it came to fighting for our country’s Veterans, never giving up. She was helping Veterans with their fight against the VA right up to her last days. If she found out you were a Veteran, you better be ready for her to put on her Veteran Service Officer hat and get to work fighting for you!

In 2020, she fell and ended up in the hospital. After that she decided it was time to be near her family and moved to Prescott Valley Arizona to live near her Son Darren. Sadly Danna’s health took a rapid decline in 2021 after she fell and broke her leg leaving her bedridden. Still she loved to talk to everyone she met about Her Jesus and many other topics, like the time she saw Bigfoot in Alaska! Danna was very much a Conservative Christian and stood strong in her faith and the United States of America. She loved wearing her Trump hat to all of her appointments, she even placed Let’s Go Brandon stickers on her wheelchair! There was no question about how she felt concerning the decline of our country, she made it perfectly clear right to the end!

Danna is survived by her sons, Darren and Ron Driggs; her daughter-in-law, Leslie Driggs; grandchildren, Ashley, Desiree and Denim Driggs; and a niece, Jennifer Zehenni.

Celebration of Life services are planned for Danna in Republic, Washington.