Irene Nellie Hudson, 02 Dec 1910 – 22 Jan 2014

HUDSON, SMITH, GILCHRIST, GRAHAM, MAHANNAH

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 3/1/2014 at 20:27:42

The news came from San Mateo, California, last week that Irene (Smith) Hudson, formerly from North English, has passed away. As the oldest living graduate of the North English – English Valleys Alumni Association, Irene Nellie Hudson was born on Dec. 2, 1910 and passed away on Wednesday, Jan 22, 1914 [2014] at the age of 103.

Irene’s father was Ross Albert Smith, and her mother was Agnes (Gilchrist) Smith. After Irene’s father, Ross, died in 1917 during the flu epidemic, her mother, Agnes, married Ernest Graham in 1923. Agnes then lived until 1946, and at a later date, Ernest married Lorene Mahannah.

Irene’s childhood home was at 127 N. Mill Street, and she graduated from North English High School in 1927. When she returned from college to teach in the North English Elementary in 1930, she was active in the Christian Church and community.

Irene taught in the North English Elementary until 1935 when she went to Clarinda to another school. By that time, she had met Leslie A. Hudson who was the pastor at the Moulton Christian Church. She met him in North English through his brother, Loren Hudson, who was the pastor at the North English Christian Church.

Irene became a minister’s wife in 1937 and only substituted in the classroom after that. They then lived in Nebraska, Iowa, California, and Nevada throughout his ministerial career. While ocean fishing near their home in San Mateo, Leslie passed away in 1987, and Irene continued to live and volunteer in the community.

Transcribed fromThe English Valleys Star, 29 Jan 2014