Funeral services for Charley Hudson, 83, of Portales, will be at 2:00 PM, Wed., April 26, 2017 at Faith Triumphant Church in Portales, with Pastor Sharon Terry officiating, assisted by Pastor Todd Terry. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Joshua Richards, Jake Richards, Caleb Richards, Tannon Hudson, Derrick Hudson, Tyler Hudson and Sean Hudson serving as pallbearers. Dean Newberry, Gene Brown, Lynn Wilhoit and Glen Wilhoit will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Charley Roe Hudson was born Aug. 1, 1933 in Plains, TX to the home of Katie Pauline (Copeland) and Carl Glen Hudson and died April 27, 2017 in Clovis, NM. Charley, “Pete” as family members called him, lived in Plains till his family moved to the Causey area. He graduated from high school in Causey in 1950. After finishing school, he worked with his dad on the family farm until 1958 when he went into the Army. Charley served the majority of his time in Germany as a Hospital Corpsman. He was discharged in 1960, and on July 3, 1960 in Plains, TX he was married to Blanche Wilhoit.
Charley ranched and farmed for most of his life. In 1969, he answered an ad in the Lubbock paper, looking for a man with experience in growing grain sorghum and with feedlots, to go to Australia to establish operations there. So, he and Blanche packed their five children up and moved to Australia where they lived until 1974. After they came back home, he ranched and farmed in the Arch community for several years. Later he worked on several ranches in the area, and then began driving trucks. He drove for Gerald Crozier and Baker Farms among others. For a time, he even worked as a government surveyor. Charley loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, and going hunting and fishing when he could make the time. For the past several years he had attended church at Faith Triumphant.
He is survived by Blanche Hudson, his wife of more than 56 years; four sons, Melvin Ray Handy of Roswell, Charles Keavin Hudson and wife, Patricia of O’Donnell, TX, Richard Dean Hudson and wife, Sonya of Roscoe, TX and Michael Paul Koonce of Roswell; two daughters, Gwendolyn Wright of Shelton, WA and Deloris Richards and husband, Russell of Portales; fourteen grandchildren, Travis (Sarah) Hudson, Joshua (Jennifer) Richards, Jacob (Hannah) Richards, Tabitha (James) Love, Caleb (Genna) Richards, Tiffany (Jake) Weatherman, Tannon Hudson and fiancé, Lauren Chase, Nicole (Jason) Stevens, Aubrey (Tomas) Latos, and Leah, Bethany, Derrick, Tyler and Sean Hudson; twelve great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Frankie Swaim of Arlington, TX and Carrie Dale Stephens of Lovington, NM. He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Isaac Coleman “Doogin” Hudson and Grady Glen “Jiggs” Hudson.