Walter Henry Hudson

Walter Henry Hudson

April 24, 1935 ~ September 9, 2026

Wally was born on April 24, 1935 in Calgary, chosen son of Molly and Fred Hudson of Puffer, Alberta.  He attended school at Fairfield, Bonny Doone, and Brownfield.

Wally worked various jobs before taking on apprenticeship in Alliance at Kueffler’s garage.  This apprenticeship took him to Calgary, Oyen, Rocky Mountain House, and Ponoka.  After completion of his apprenticeship, in 1961 he took a job at Stettler Motors.

Wally met Harriette Friedli at her cousin’s wedding dance in Botha.  After a short courtship, the two were married in August 1964.  He continued to work at Stettler Motors until 1966, when he and Harriette made the move to the big city lights of Calgary.  There he worked for Stampede Motors and enrolled in SAIT for his second class welding certificate.  The following year he enrolled in Heavy Duty Mechanics, receiving his tradesman certificate in 1968.

In the fall of 1968, Harriette’s father Fred expressed a desire to return to Switzerland for the first time since he immigrated to Canada in 1925, forty three years earlier.  Wally and Harriette had been helping around the farm as they could, but it was time for them to step up to the plate and begin farming full time.  During the 70’s, they hosted many agricultural exchange students from Switzerland.  He continued to farm for forty five years, raising cattle and grain.  Working with the Paintearth Gas Co-op, he helped introduce natural gas to rural areas.  He became a director on the Board of the co-op, a position he held for more than twenty years.

Winter recreation consisted of curling in Botha, initially on natural ice at the rink, and bonspiels throughout central Alberta.

In later years, when he wasn’t relaxing at his lakeside retreat in Rochon Sands, he enjoyed trailering to parts of the US, especially visiting his friends in Oklahoma for the peanut harvest.  He was an active member of the Central Alberta Vintage Auto Club with his 1929 Dodge car, and his 1960’s Cadillacs.

For many, many years Wally always had a faithful companion beagle or basset hound as his copilot in his farm trucks and tractors.  He was a quiet man, but he had a quick wit and dry sense of humor all his friends appreciated.

Walter leaves to mourn his devoted wife of sixty-two years, Harriette Hudson; brother Robert “Bob” (Dorothy); special niece Aleah (Chris) Longshore Farmer; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and their families and many friends!

Wally was predeceased by his parents Fred and Molly Hudson; his in-laws Fred and Frieda Friedli; brothers Vernon and Edward; sister Alice; and his brother and sister in law Donald and Bertha Longshore.

Celebration of Life

Friday, September 18, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.

Stettler United Church, Stettler, Alberta

Memorial donations may be made to Woodland Botha Cemetery, c/o Box 224, Botha, Alberta T0C 0N0 or to Stettler United Church Box 1027, Stettler, Alberta T0C 2L0.  Condolences may be sent to the family, please visit www.stettlerfuneralhome.com. Stettler Funeral Home & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements 403-742-3422.