Funeral services for lifelong Lander resident Edwin T. “Butch” Hudson, age 80, will be held on Monday at 11 am at the Lander Community and Convention Center with interment to follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be open visitation starting at 10 am until service time. Butch passed away the morning of Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at Sage West Lander hospital.
Edwin T. Hudson was born February 3, 1941 to Henry and Wilma (Gustin) Hudson in Lander, Wyoming. He grew up in Lander schools. He played football in high school and was very active in the music and acting programs. He graduated from Fremont County Vocational High School in 1959. He attended Casper College on a music scholarship and worked odd jobs to pay the bills. He worked as an orderly and as a security guard in the emergency room at Natrona County Hospital. He also served as ambulance driver.
After Casper College he worked odd jobs in Lander including Bishop Randall Hospital and Darr Funeral Home. He attended Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1962-63 graduating with his embalmers degree. This is where he met Diane Ekardt on a blind date. She was a student at the Jewish school of nursing. They continued to write letters after Butch had graduated and moved back to Lander. For her graduation he sent her a train ticket west. She obliged and the couple were married on August 30, 1964.
Butch worked for Davis Funeral Home until they opened Hudson’s Funeral Home on South 3rd Street in Lander in the former Catholic Church in 1966. The business grew and in 1969 built the permanent home on Mount Hope Drive by the cemetery. The new facility offered modern funeral service options but Butch and staff also operated a home oxygen service as well as an ambulance service. Butch was passionate about Emergency Services. This along with his love of teaching and human anatomy led him to become the first certified Emergency Medical Technician instructor in the State of Wyoming. From 1970 to 1980 Butch and Diane, along with their children Annie, Kathy and Nick were weekend warriors traveling around the state teaching volunteers the basics of Emergency care. Butch was instrumental in creating the Wyoming Ambulance & EMS Association which helped to bring more folks together with annual trauma conferences and competitions that allowed first responders from all around the state to gather, show the skills and talk about the successes and failures of, at the time, a very infant practice in Wyoming. These teachings and events helped shape emergency services and have a lasting impact on the citizens of Wyoming.
Butch served as city councilman and served two terms on the Fremont County Commission. During his two terms he was instrumental in creating the Fremont County Association of Governments or FCAG. This brought all the cities, towns and public entities of Fremont County together to help solve county-wide problems and allowed communities to work together for the betterment of their citizens.
Butch was very active in the community of Lander during these years. He volunteered his time with many great organizations including serving on the Lander Volunteer Fire Department, Lander Pioneer Days Parade Committee, Lander One Shot Antelope Hunt, was very active with the Lander Rotary Club, was instrumental in starting the Lander Valley High School Booster Club and has been a decades long 32nd degree Mason in the Lander Lodge No. 2.
Butch was passionate about his hobbies. He was an excellent cook, an accomplished woodworker, writer, and painter and was an avid fly fisherman. He and Diane were passionate about their family and doing everything possible to show support and love for their children and grandchildren. They loved family dinners, holiday gatherings and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family at their cabin on Pass Creek. They enjoyed travelling in their motorhome in retirement and just being together.
He is survived by his children Annie and Bill Heninger, Kathy and Ron Wells, Nick and Toni Hudson all of Lander, grandchildren Josh, Emile, Kegan (Kendra), Kolbey, Jenae and Jaclyn of Lander, Casper and Laramie; siblings Gwen and Dory Montezemi of Hebron, Kentucky, Dick and Celina Hudson of Lander, Cheryl and Foy “John” Jolly of Cheyenne and Dave and Nancy Hudson of Lander, along with numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.
He is preceded in death by his wife of 57 years Diane, his parents Henry and Wilma Hudson, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Memorial donations can be made to the Westward Heights Care Center Activity Fund, 150 Caring Way, Lander, WY 82520, Lander First United Methodist Church, Christmas and Easter Fund, 262 N. 3rd Street, Lander, WY 82520or the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or at their website at alz.org.