In Memory of Billy Eugene HudsonGood Morning!
I have thought for weeks about writing about my Dad. A few weeks back I ran across an old movie "The Hank Williams Story" It sure took me back a long ways. Our dad was a huge Hank Williams lover. Ever sense I can remember dad had a country band. When he was about 16 he won a talent contest in Girard Kansas. He was awarded a trophy signed by Gene Autry. I am not sure if it was sponsered by KOAM Radio or not. KOAM was the big radio station in Southeast Kansas at the time. K stood for Kansas, O for Oklahoma, A for Arkansas and M for Missouri. KOAM's home base was in Pittsburg Kansas where my grandparents lived. Dad was so proud of that trophy.
When he was about 2 or 3 he had a bad accident and just about lost his foot. The story was that he got out of the house and ran to the field where Grandpa was. The horses were pulling a sickle that cuts weeds and hay. Grandpa didn't see Daddy and ran over him. The horses stopped dead still when Dad screamed. The sickle cut almost through the bone of his ankle. He was very lucky he didn't loose his foot. Over the years he had several surgeries on his ankle. He had a bad limp but that didn't keep him for doing anything. He even played basket ball in high school.
He grew up around Girard Kansas and Pittsburg. His father was a farmer. Grandpa farmed all over Crawford county for other people. He always had a lot of men working for him. That was back in the day when you were paid for a days work. I remember that some of the men that worked for Grandpa were poor with big families to feed. Some of them had been in trouble with the law. They respected Grandpa and worked hard for him. Grandma would make lunches for all the men that worked for him.
Dad was a hard worker. He was a bus driver when he met Mom. He was one of many cross town bus drivers in Pittsburg. Back then that was the mode of transportation. Pittsburg was a booming in the early years.
My mother in-law can remember when Dad drove the bus. She was about ten years older than my folks. She said that there was this pretty dark haired dark skin young lady that would set behind Bill on the bus and she was very sweet on him.
When I was born we lived down the street from my husbands grandparents in Pittsburg. I was about 2 when we moved to Missouri. Dad followed in his dad's foot steps. He farmed and worked for a milk plant. You might of heard of the company, it was Pet Milk Company. Yes our DADDY was the Milk Man! He would go from farm to farm pick up the milk and take it to the plant in Carthage MO. The farmers would leave watermelons in the milk coolers for him. They were ice cold and so good.
One of my favorite memories was when Dad would play at the Memorial Hall in Lamar for different events. He had quite a following for his band. We would have fun in the building before the dance. It was so huge to us back then. We played back stage and down in the basement. I haven't been back there in years.
Dad did a lot of horse trading in those days. That was when you could do something for your neighbor for free and he would do the same for you. Not to much of that happens today. I think he traded landscaping for stocking the pond once. That sure paid off. We all fished in that pond at one time or another. Caught so nice fish too!
Grandpa had a gravel / landscaping business in the latter years of his life. When he passed Daddy took over the business. I think it was something he really enjoyed. In the winter he would clear off all the drive ways in the neighbor hood and wouldn't charge anything.
You know when you look over the years we were so lucky to have such great parents. Mom is such a strong person. Mom and Dad were married for 18 years, divorced for 14 years and had remarried about 15 years when Dad passed away. Being a single mom was a hard job. There was 4 of us kids. Mom worked nights at a cheese plant. She had help from her mom back then. I still don't see how she did it. There isn't much she can't do to this day. From working on her car to carpenter work. What a women!
I think to this day that my Dad watches over us kids. From backing a trailer in a tight spot, (Miles) to playing the guitar (Doug) or watching over us on that long flight from Australia (Penny), even singing in that band in the out back ( John),
to the numbers that you deal with and people you meet every day( Patty), and giving us the strength to go back to college to make a better life for our children (Melissa)!
Daddy is watching us all!!
We love and miss you Daddy!
