Charles Langford Hudson

His formative years found him at many rodeos, ropings, fairs and such. Winner of a pony race during the rodeo at Livermore, California at the tender age of 5, he also learned his father’s passion of horse racing and rodeo. Many years he was the primary jockey riding his father's horses in the Relay race, as he was a tall lean young man who could ride and get off to vault onto another horse and repeat that process until the last of three horses had completed that task.

Sports were something Charles he excelled in. After graduation from Watsonville Union High School, class of 1957, he joined the National Guard, with basic training at Ft. Ord, Monterey, then stationed in Kentucky, where he played baseball. Upon returning home to Watsonville he enrolled at Cabrillo College and prepared to play football. On the last play of the last practice session prior to the first game, he suffered a fractured neck. After many months of wearing a 'halo' he recovered quite well.

His golf game was important to Charles. He spent many hours with friends out on the course, with that big cigar; he could be spotted from several yards away.

As a young man, he held several jobs in and around Watsonville and Salinas area. Then his interest in the antiques led him into the used furniture and collectible world. With his mentor, owner of Warehouse Furniture, Bill Tolbert, in Hanford, Charles opened his own store. Then Charles opened up a store in Three Rivers, California where he had moved to from Visalia. After a few years, he moved his store back to Hanford. Several years later, he took his store 'home' to Watsonville. While most of the buildings in town were destroyed or damaged, his building withstood the big earthquake. Charles allowed several displaced persons to sleep with a roof over their heads in his store. With the downtown mostly destroyed he moved that store to Freedom Blvd. and stayed there until his return to Hanford. His later years were spent driving/delivering R.V.s for Dan Gamble.

He was preceded in death are his parents, Shorty and Myrtie Hudson and his son, Charles K. Hudson.

Charles is survived by his wife, Carol Jean Hudson, his son, Wesley Randy Hudson and his wife, Melissa, grandchildren, Kylie Taylor, Josh and Sara Hudson, three stepchildren, Linda, Mike, and Tommy, and their children, Dustin, Melissa, Matthew, Nicholas, Donnie, Glen, Jonathan, Cristopher, and numerous great-grandchildren. Also, one brother, Tootie and wife Teda, and their son, John Hudson, a sister, Annette and husband Danny Rose, and their son, Hudson Rose.

A Pot-Luck Celebration of Life will take place on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the Riverdale Memorial Hall; 3085 West Mount Whitney Avenue, Riverdale, CA 93656.

Family and Friends are invited to view Charles’ legacy at www.peoplesfuneralchapel.com and send condolences to the family.

Services are under the direction of People’s Funeral Chapel.

PEOPLE’S FUNERAL CHAPEL

501 N. Douty Street * Hanford, CA 93230

559-584-5591 * www.peoplesfuneralchapel.com