Hudson Lee Long

1933 - 2018

Hudson Lee Long finished his course on this side of Heaven on January 24, 2018. He was born in Llano, Texas on April 4, 1933. He was many things: husband, father, grandfather, friend, Sunday school teacher, civic volunteer, historian, cowboy poet, actor, postman, rancher, lover of puzzles and games, dedicated sports fan, runner, rafter, and sailor. Most importantly, he loved his family, neighbors, and fellow sojourners in this life. Hudson believed in the promises of God. "For I know the plans I have for you" declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. The plans for Hudson included finding the love of his life, Martha Royce Gilliland, and marrying her on his birthday, on April 4, 1958. He was blessed with three children: Patricia Long Weaver, Pamela Baker, and Paul Roy Long. The family expanded with the addition of Patricia's husband, David Weaver; Pamela's husband, Tim Baker, and their children, Rachel Baker and Nathanael Baker; and Paul's wife, Kristina, and their children, Olivia and Madelyn. From his marriage to Martha, Hudson was also blessed with the addition of her nephew, Danny Tarver, and his wife, Jane. Hudson had been raised by his parents, Sherman "Buck" Long and Alice "Goldie" Long, out on the old family ranch on the Llano River in Llano County. His commute to school included traveling by horseback to connect to his ride into town. Hudson graduated from Llano High School and attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. Hudson left the hill country behind to serve his country in the Navy. He loved to tell stories of the country boy in San Diego. The experience led to his love of sailing. After Hudson returned from service, he began ranching on the now family home in San Saba County, on the headwaters of Cherokee Creek. He met Martha after being introduced by his aunt to the new "pretty county agent." In 1966, he went to work at the Postal Service to supplement the family income. Hudson and Martha made a great team; she became an excellent rancher for a city girl, and he held down the fort in town. Hudson was always a tireless supporter of his children and grandchildren. If you knew Hudson, you know how he felt about his family. His and Martha's efforts resulted in all three children graduating from Howard Payne University, and Patricia going on to Baylor Law School. Pamela and her husband served for years as missionaries in the mission field, and Paul set out on his path in his wife's home town, Syracuse, Indiana, a great small town not unlike Llano. Hudson loved his wonderful grandchildren and was very proud of their accomplishments. He loved to have everyone out at the ranch and could always be called up to tell a great story, clean the fish, and set up the fish fry. Hudson started traveling in junior high, going by car from Llano to Alaska. He was photographed as a cowboy with Paul at Mount Vernon in 1976 by Japanese tourists, and they were so excited to meet a rancher. The trips continued and were very diverse, but they really became special when he and Martha started going to see and support Pamela in the mission field. Whether it was Maryland, Kenya, Zaire, the Philippines, or Europe, Hudson traveled to Pamela's postings. Some trips were very difficult - especially Zaire. His explanation of the logistics of traveling with foot lockers full of auto parts, which were needed so Tim could keep his equipment and truck running, was amazing. Other great trips included a family cruise to Key West and the Bahamas for his birthday, and his and Martha's wedding anniversary in 2016. Hudson caught the acting bug in high school and carried it into college. Later, he was involved in the Riverwalk Theatre Group in Llano, and played the lead in "Harvey." In 1992, Hollywood came calling. Actually, a movie was being filmed on Highway 71 outside Valley Spring, where a casting agent spotted Hudson and Martha and told them they could be in film. They both found work in the industry. Hudson started with being an extra, then a featured extra, which eventually led to commercials and a number of speaking roles. He got to meet and work with many famous stars and directors, but he claimed that his favorites were "Sandy" Bullock, Robert Duval, and Jeremy Irons. The family even got to attend two premieres of his movies at the Paramount Theater in Austin for "The Tree of Life" and "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town." In an effort to try and keep up with his wife, Hudson became a runner/walker and participated in area events, as well as the National Senior Games in Louisville in 2007 and San Francisco (Stanford) in 2009. He was also waiting at the finish line, sometimes with the family dog, when Martha finished the Capital 10K, which she started running in 2010. Hudson was a member of the First Baptist Church of Llano. He taught the Senior Men's Sunday School Class for over 25 years, and had been a long time church trustee. Knowing that age is not a barrier to service, when a need arose a number of years ago, he and Martha volunteered for Vacation Bible School to teach on missions. He loved meeting and working with the young children and he was able to do this for years. Hudson's community service also included being on the Board of New Horizons of Llano and the Board of the Llano County Historical Society, and he was a longtime supporter of the Llano County 4-H. The family will have visitation on January 29, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home in Llano. Services will be Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Llano with Reverend James McGlothlin officiating; committal to follow at the Llano City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Llano Women's Culture Club Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to Llano-area graduating seniors. The Fund's address is P.O. Box 613, Llano, Texas 78643, Attn: Frances Young. A favorite verse of Hudson's, which is most appropriate now: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7.