Hughes was born as Emma W. Daman in the U.S. state of Georgia on 2 March 1913. At the age of 17, on 28 June 1930, she married Richard Hughes in Marion, Georgia. The couple had four children: Felton, Richard Jr., Randolph, and Sarah.

Hughes worked as a maid, while her husband was a farm labourer. In the 1970s, she moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to her family, living in Manchester, a neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, before moving into a nursing home in North Hills in 2011.

At the time of her 106th birthday, Hughes had 30 grandchildren and over 30 great-grandchildren. She enjoyed quilting and sewing, and was very religious, with “Amazing Grace” being her favourite hymn. She never smoked or drank alcohol, but used snuff, a smokeless tobacco, before giving it up when she moved into the nursing home.

Hughes died on 2 March 2023, her 110th birthday. Only one of her children, Richard, outlived her. She was also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.