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| CENTrOPOLIS MOV:15:45Min Click on any picture on the page to Start the Movie |
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Film Synopsis:
A documentary of stories and journal entries told and written by Randall E. Hudson, the father of Chris. Randy takes us on location to various places in his hometown that spark memories from his past. click on any picture on this page the to start the MOVIE.
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R.E.H. Timeline:
1950’s
April 13- Randy goes from a twinkle in his fathers eye to his successful launching into physical life as the son of Doris and Taylor. His father works as a Switchman for the Santa Fe Railroad. His mother comes from a railroad family also. Randy’s maternal grandfather is Santa Fe Maintenance of Way Foreman and her brother, Garland, is a Passenger Conductor for the same road.
August 1956- Randy takes first passenger train trip from Kansas City to Encinitas, California with his mother to visit his Great Aunt Mary and her husband Stanley. He is a “little shit” throughout. His mom never let him forget it. He begins his love of the railroad on this trip.
April 1959- Randy’s baseball career begins with Cub Scout softball.
1960’s
May 1960- Randy plays on a hardball team in the 3&2 League. His team, Phipps Realty, plays for City Championship but loses. He was a major contributor to his team’s success. Baseball is his first love until age 18.
November 1960- As a 4th grader, Randy writes an essay on the skunk. The work draws special recognition for his teacher. She reads it at a school board meeting.
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September 1961- Randy realizes his love for words and writing. He decides newspaper reporting would be desirable line of work if he couldn’t be a first baseman for the Chicago Cubs.
October 1962- Randy writes his first verse lines with help from his
Grandmother Parker. He is embarrassed by his effort but his teacher likes it. The poem began:
I have a cousin name of Sam.
He lives way down in Alabam’.
He shucks the corn and rakes the hay.
For this he doesn’t get much pay.
November 1965- Randy gets first job throwing Kansas City Star newspapers out of the back of a moving pickup truck.
June 1967- Randy gets summer works as a Train Porter for the Santa Fe, working on passenger trains running out of Kansas City. He is only 17 but his many trips to California have prepared his for this job. His Uncle Garland finagled his opportunity with a trainmaster he knew. His uncle tells his parents Randy is a natural born railroader.
September 1967- Call it luck or talent, Randy’s high school journalism teacher recommends him for a copy boy job at the Kansas City Star. He works on the “sports desk”. He’s just a gopher and phone answerer, but the dreams of a 5th grader seem too be materializing.
December 1967- Randy answers the “sports desk” phone one Friday evening and speaks for the first time to his eventual wife and mother of his child, Cecelia Quatrocky.
February 1968- A substitute teacher in Randy’s “civics” class brings an assortment of records containing the music Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others of the “social consciousness” musical movement for the class to listen too. It strikes a chord within Randy. He realizes that writing poetry dealing with his feelings about the anti- war and the civil rights movements have a place in his world. The lyrics that he hears are inspirational to him.
June 1968- Randy graduates from Van Horn High School. He also accepts summer job as a Switchman for the Santa Fe.
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September 1968- Randy begins freshman year at the University of Missouri at Kansas City and obtains a “2S”, student deferment from his draft board. The Vietnam War is at its peak.
April 1969- Randy turns 19 and is reclassified “1A” which meant you were choice meat waiting to be drafted.
June 1969- Randy again accepts summer work as a Santa Fe Switchman.
December 1969- Randy is “sworn in” as a member of the 325th General Hospital, U.S. Army Reserves. He had been on a waiting list for over a year before be enlisted. Joining the Reserves almost guarantees he will not go to Vietnam.
1970’s
January 29, 1970- After joining the Reserves and with “Boot Camp” due in February, Randy takes a permanent job as a Switchman for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. His seniority will be maintained in his absence.
February 1970- Randy goes to “Boot Camp” and Army Instructional School. He will be gone until July.
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| July 16, 1970- Randy returns from Army training and marries Cecelia. They had become engaged in December 1969. They are expecting a child in September. Randy goes back to his job as a railroad Switchman.
August 1970- Randy transfers from the Reserves to the 235th Engineer Group of the Missouri National Guard. This unit met one weekend monthly allowing for less time lost from work.
September 29, 1970- Cecelia and Randy are blessed with a beautiful son. They name him Christopher Eugene Hudson.
December 7,1975- Randy is discharged from the National Guard.
May 1978- After years of writing verse Randy is given guitar lessons from a friend at work, Andy Kinne. Finally Randy can give a voice to his poetry as he had always wanted to do
1980’s
October 1982- Randy co-writes a song with Andy called “Winter Thoughts”. They enter it in a national songwriting competition. The song finishes fourth out of over 32,000 entries.
April 1982- Randy and Andy perform as a duo at an “open mic”at a bar called The Point in Westport. It is Randy’s first public performance.
August 1982- Andy decides to go in another direction musically so Randy starts performing as a solo act. He continues write and perform only his own songs. He tires of performing and backs away from it in 1992.
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1990’s
September 4, 1991- Randy marries Barbara Lynn Kellogg.
June 11, 1993- Randy’s father, Eugene Taylor Hudson passes away suddenly the day before his 78th birthday.
November 1996- Randy’s son Chris gives his senior classical guitar recital for the U.M.K.C. Conservatory of Music. Randy is very proud of him.
2000’s
December 9, 2003- Randy’s mother Doris N. Hudson passes away at the age of 83.
December 8, 2005- A bad back and depression force Randy to file for an Occupational Disability with the Railroad Retirement Board. This would be his last working day.
July 7, 2006- Randy obtains his disability Pension. His time in railroad service, counting his time with the Santa Fe plus 35 years and five months with the Missouri Pacific/ Union Pacific comes to over 36 years of railroad employment.
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This is a chronological compilation of events occuring during the life of one Randall E. Hudson
from birth to whether unknown.
I will do my utmost not to cheat history
or truth in this endeavor.
Therefore, I shall begin from the beginning.
(or somewhat the beginning)
Sincerely Yours,
R.E.H. |
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