Wilma Irene Hudelson

Wilma Irene Hudelson, 81, of New Castle passed away Friday, September 26, 2025 at Henry Community Health following a brief illness. She was born on October 28, 1943 in Grape, Kentucky (which is now under Lake Cumberland) to the late John A. and Beulah Margaret (Ramsey) Meadows.

Irene graduated from Walter P. Chrysler High School then attended Ivy Tech, Teco Culinary School and 700 Cooking School. She was employed by Western Electric, AT&T, and her own business, Hudelson Accounting. She also was a museum curator for the Heritage Museum in St. Cloud, Florida, Business Manager at Rich Purnell Hawaiian Entertainer and she even wrote and sold her own recipe books. Irene loved to cook, go shopping and travel the World.

Irene had a giving mindset and heart and loved to donate her time locally to the New Castle Kiwanis, Spiceland Town Library, the Memorial Park Board and the New Castle Elks 484. In earlier years, she was the program chair of the toy drive through AT&T every Christmas, also the Dress-A-Doll program, which also provided toys for kids. She would always make sure children in need had everything they needed to be successful, whether it be school supplies, clothes or food.

She loved holding fundraisers for each non-profit organization she was a member of including, New Castle Kiwanis Purse Bingo, spaghetti dinners which helped build two playgrounds and helping raise funds for several food pantries.

She is survived by her son, Tony (Barbara) Russell; step-daughters, Monica (Andy) Hollman and Tonya Hillis; grandchildren, Krista Newkirk, Justin Russell, Brakayla Hillis, Ann Hollman, Adam Hollman and Bryce McNellis; great grandchildren, Carson, Kaden, Camden and Khloe Newkirk; a sister, Loretta Baker; a brother, Glenn (Diane) Meadows; several nieces and nephews and a dear friend, Pat Hammer.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Stan Hudelson; siblings, Mildred Anderson, John, Karl, Christine, Otha Lee and Jim Meadows.

Memorial services will be 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 2, 2025 at Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service in New Castle. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until time of service on Thursday at the funeral home. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Circle Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to the New Castle Kiwanis Shoe Program, P.O. Box 93, New Castle, IN 47362. You may express condolences or share a memory of Irene at www.hinsey-brown.com.