Jan. 22, 1935 – Jan. 12, 2016

NATCHEZ — A celebration of life services for Cornie Eudell Hudson, 80, who died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria, La., will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Washington Baptist Church in Washington with the Rev. Carl Smith officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday, both at the church.

Mr. Hudson was born Jan. 22, 1935, in Pattison, the son of Joseph Barksdale Hudson Sr. and Fannie Smith Hudson.

He lived in Pattison throughout his childhood years and graduated from Union Church High School. He moved to Natchez and married his first love, Lyvonne Nettles. They raised three children, Donnie Ladell, Rebecca Kay and Cynthia Darlene. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson were married for 43 years until her death in June 1998.

He worked as a general mechanic for International Paper Company in Natchez for 43 years. Also during that time, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and did part time work with a local sheet metal company. He also helped his brother, Edward Hudson, at his print shop, Hudson Printing Company.

He was a long-time member of Washington Baptist Church where he was a deacon, a choir member and teacher in the children’s department.

He married his second love, Vernie Porter, in December 1999. They traveled a lot together, taking a number of trips throughout the country visiting family and friends. They also traveled with the Mississippi and Arkansas Nailbenders Association and helped to build churches. For the past 15 years they were involved with the Lay Renewal Weekend Program with the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board where they worked with the children’s ministry.

Every January since 2002, they traveled to Mission, Texas, for six weeks to the “All Because of Christ” print shop to help print Christian tracts and literature to be distributed in Mexico, sharing the love of Christ. He put his print shop skills he learned earlier to good use for the service of the Lord.

He loved spending time with his family, fishing for white perch with his long-time buddies and hunting for the big buck on his family property in McBride.

Mr. Hudson was a true man of God and lived his life accordingly. He will truly be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Mr. Hudson was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Lyvonne; three brothers, J.B. Hudson Jr., Boyd H. Hudson and Edward M. Hudson; and two sisters, Frances P. Barrett and Margie L. Stephens.

Survivors include his wife, Vernie Porter Hudson; one son, Donnie L. Hudson and wife, Julie, of Prairieville, La.; two daughters, Kay Bourdin and husband, Edward, of Natchez and Cindy Hudson of Byram; grandchildren, Kaitlyn Hudson Melancon and husband, Glen, Jared Hudson and Blair T. Gautreau, Erin Hudson Delaune and husband, Kolton, all of Prairieville, Lacie Renee Rachal and husband, Christian, of Natchez, Preston Hicks and Meagan Watson of Lafayette, La.; great-grandchildren, Bowen Paul Melancon, Hayes Ross Hudson, Kerrie Rae Delaune, Kaylea Renee Hall, Timber Hudson Merritt and John Bennett Rachal; two sisters, Sylvia R. Bowman and husband, Archie, of Spokane, Wash., and Annette Giordano and husband, Jerry, of San Antonio, Texas; and one brother, Johnnie Paul Hudson and wife, Marti, of LaSalle, Colo.

Pallbearers will be Preston Hicks, Jared Hudson, Glen Melancon, Kolton Delaune, Christian Rachal and Edward Bourdin.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Washington Baptist Church, P.O. Box 88, Washington, MS 39190.

Online condolences may be sent to lairdfh.com.