Nicholas Mark Hudson
Marriages
Linda (Benson) Hudson - August 31, 1974
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 6B - August 21, 2022
Nicholas (Mark)
Hudson was called home
to the Lord peacefully
surrounded by his family
and friends on August 16,
2022 after fighting a long,
hard battle with kidney
failure.
Mark was born to Nicholas Scholar Hudson and
Beulah Elvira (Novinger) Hudson on October 21, 1951
in Collbran, Colorado. He was born tiny, in a hospital
without an incubator, so he was placed in a shoe box
on an open oven door. As such, he always joked he was
“half-baked”. He spent his early days in Debeque where
he rode his horse Tuffy to school and may have been
known to escape on occasion because “he belonged on
the mountain with his father”. He later moved to Grand
Junction with his father.
It’s here that Nicholas (Scholar) met and married
Mary Ella Tipping. She raised him as her own along
with her 2 sons. Mark enjoyed running cattle on 4A
mountain, riding horses, and hunting with his family.
After graduating from Grand Junction High School
in 1969, Mark started college at Mesa State but his
education was put on hold as he joined the Army
to proudly serve as an explosives expert during the
Vietnam war, including an assignment for the 1972
presidential campaign.
It was while he was home on leave that he met his
beautiful wife Linda (Benson) Hudson while cruising
the strip on North Avenue. They were married August
31, 1974 and enjoyed nearly 48 years of marriage before
his passing.
Their first child was born in 1976 and the other 2
followed every 2 years and 3 months (although not
intentional).
He continued his college education upon returning to
Grand Junction and graduated in 1977. He also worked
for City Market as a Maintenance Supervisor at the
warehouse hub for over 20 years. 1987 Mark and Linda
bought a farm in Loma where they would spend the rest
of their married life raising quarter horses and growing
hay and alfalfa.
On April 1, 1991 he became the proud owner and
operator of Artesian Water Service and Bruner’s Water
Service, which would become the family business until
his retirement in 2016. “Water Mark” worked tirelessly
to haul potable water to drilling rigs and residential
customers, ensuring nobody ever went without clean
water. Every Christmas he could be seen delivering
water as Santa to the joy of the children on his routes.
Mark was known in his community as a gruff cowboy
with a great sense of humor, an impeccable set of
morals, and a huge heart. There are many stories of him
helping those less fortunate and teaching his family to
do the same.
In his later years, his pride and joy became his
grandchildren; teaching them to fish, build or repair just
about anything, and work on the farm. They were his
shadows and the light of his life.
He is survived by his wife Linda, his children; Justin
(Carinne) Hudson, Kjersti Hudson and Josh (Billie
Jo) Hudson, 3 grandchildren; Elliana, Benjamin and
Maddox, 5 bonus grandchildren; Amia Ortiz, Kale and
Sabrina Litzelman, Kyle and Kylea Hadden, 1 great
grandchild Lillianna Ortiz, his siblings Sue Currey and
Ronald (Marie) Tipping. He is preceded in death by his
parents and brother Clayton (Linda) Tipping.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In
lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to
The Gary Sinise Foundation, The National Kidney
Foundation or HopeWest.
