The fourth son of seven children, born June 14, 1903 to Mary Elizabeth (Cartwright) and Sebron "Dee" Scifres, Hugh Scifres often said, "they were too poor to give me a middle name". Raised in the Seymour/ Crothersville area of Southern Indiana, he learned early in life what was needed to survive. His father was not around very much, so his upbringing was left to older siblings.

Hugh's knowledge of nature in the woods was evident. There wasn't a tree in Indiana that he couldn't identify by bark, shape or leaf. As a young man during squirrel season, he rarely returned without his limit and then sold the game.

On October 25, 1935, Hugh married Francis Arnell Hardin at Mt. Washington, Kentucky. Hugh and Arnell lived in Seymour in the early years of their marriage. Hugh worked at the Shoe Factory in Seymour and the Canning Factory at Austin. At one point, he was forced to take work in Dayton, Ohio, which left Arnell at home alone. When he returned to the boarding house where he was staying, he found his new bride waiting there for him. She had missed him so much that she had sold her cherished linoleum from the kitchen floor to buy bus fare to be with him.

Their first child, Rosalie, was born in 1938, while they lived in Seymour. A son, Gordon Hugh, was born in 1939. Hugh moved his family to Indianapolis where sons, Stephen Wayne and Dennis Dale were born. Hugh worked for Indiana Gear Works.

When he moved to Indianapolis, for additional income, he raised tomatoes and hogs on the small acreage. During a flood in the late 1950's, Hugh and Bob Lewis, (son-in-law to be), had to move hogs. One of the hogs bit Hugh in the butt. Bob recalls, "He cussed like a sailor, as usual". "Hughey", enjoyed a practical joke, but really "got a bang out of the loaded cigar I gave him". Hugh taught all the boys to go hunting, fishing and to appreciation nature.

He always knew that the wild game and mushrooms would be a welcome sight on their dinner table. He always bragged on Arnell's cooking, especially the fried chicken. When the family moved to Sprague Road, Hugh raised a nice garden and managed a bread store for a time. They babysat children along with their own grandchildren. Randy Lewis, grandson, recalls Grandpa talking fondly about his old 12 gauge shotgun, "Ole Meat 'n the Pot" when he shared his hunting stories. The times they would hop in the turquoise Rambler to go fishing will never to be forgotten.

Retiring as a machine operator from American Bearing in 1965, Hugh and Arnell bought their home on Carson Avenue. They enjoyed fishing, taking short trips and visiting with their ever-growing family and old friends. Sharpening saws and tending to his home and yard brought Hugh much satisfaction. He was always open to a game of Euchre and often "made it on nothing". He took great delight in each of their nine grandchildren.

As his arthritis worsened, his activities were greatly limited. In April 1971, he suffered a massive stroke. He lived for three months after the stroke. He died June 4, 1971 of pneumonia complications. He was 67 years old.