Hugh Hudgens was born in Southern Township of Williamson County on January 29, 1882 to Zachariah Hudgens and Mary Jane Cooksey and was one of 14 children in the family. He attended Marion grade school, Marion High School and a commercial course at Creal Springs College graduating in 1900 according to his obituary.
Hugh married Mary Ann Lilley on July 17, 1903 in Williamson County and in September 1905 paid $150 for a lot at 901 W. Maplewood Street in Marion where they went on to build the home they both would spend the rest of their lives.
By 1907, Hugh was in partnership in Marion with N.G. Reid as dealers in dry goods, groceries & notions running a store at 402 W. Main Street.
In 1908 and 1909, Hugh was elected as Ward 2 Alderman to the city of Marion under Mayor J.C. Mitchell. Hugh hadn’t quite turned 26 yet when elected the first time and was likely the youngest Alderman ever elected to the city council. Hugh’s brother Robert L. Hudgens had served as city Alderman for seven terms from 1899-1905.
When the 1910 census was conducted, 28 year old Hugh was listed as a grocery merchant living in their home on Maplewood Street. The couple indicated that they had birthed two children but only one was living, a son named Hugh E. Hudgens, aged 2.
When Hugh filled out a WWI draft card in 1917, he had started working as a traveling salesman. His physical description given was medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair.
In the 1920 federal census, Hugh 37 and Mary 37 had 3 children living in the home, Hugh E. 12, Minnie L. 7 and Edith L. aged 2. Hugh was listed as a traveling salesman and they owned their own home on Maplewood Street free of mortgage.
In 1922, he was a member of the David Herrin Lodge 1036, International Order of the Odd Fellows.
In Hugh’s 1942 WWII draft card, he was described as 5’8” tall and weighed 130 lbs.
Hudgens served as a West Marion Township Justice of the Peace from 1947 to 1964, when the judicial system was revised. A newspaper report indicated that he ran for City Clerk in 1947 against John K. Miller, but lost.
Hugh’s wife, Mary Ann, passed away on May 17, 1953 at the Marion Memorial Hospital and was interred in Rose Hill Cemetery.
In the 1950 census, Hugh was 68 and listed as working as a Justice of the Peace. He, his son Hugh E. 42 and daughter in law, Lillian G. 34 were still living in the family home on Maplewood. His son was working as a crew chief for the census bureau and his daughter in law was working as a stenographer.
Hugh passed away on December 20, 1969 while visiting his daughter Edith Bourne in San Anselmo, California. His body was returned to Marion where funeral services were held at the Wilson Funeral Home with burial at Rose Hill Cemetery. He left children, Hugh Eugene of Marion, Mrs. Lillie Capodanno of West Caldwell, New Jersey and Mrs. Edith Bourne, a brother Arthur of Marion and two grandchildren.
Notes on Children:
Unknown child, born and between 1904 and 1910
Hugh Eugene Hudgens, born September 13, 1907, died January 29, 1997, interred at Rose Hill Cemetery
Minnie Lilley Hudgens Capodanno, born July 23, 1913, died January 3, 2000, interred at Rose Hill Cemetery
Edith Lorene Hudgens Bourne, born December 19, 1918, died June 8, 2002, interred at Rose Hill Cemetery
Dwight Egbert Hudgens, born May 12, 1921, died of bronchial pneumonia November 1, 1923, interred at Rose Hill Cemetery
(Sources: Marion Daily Republican, Southern Illinoisan, The Leader, FindaGrave.com, Federal Census Records, WWI and WWII Draft Records, California Death Records, Marion Street Directories, Ancestry.com. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 12/30/2023)