Obituary of Nell Naomi Hudson Schmitt

It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our super cute beloved Mother, Nell Naomi Hudson Schmitt. She was 98 yrs. “Mom died suddenly on Sunday afternoon of natural causes at her home in Dallas, Texas.. We rejoice in the extraordinary life she lived and we feel grateful and blessed to have been loved by such a terrific Mom. Thank you for all of your prayers. We are steadfast in our faith and finding comfort in knowing where Mom is, Phil 4:13. Nell Naomi Peters was born in 1922 in Clinton Tennessee (Anderson County) at home to her parents Ruby Peters and John Henry Peters. She attended Old Knoxville High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nell had a love for the country as her Father was a farmer and upon his passing she requested to go live with her Uncle Luther and Aunt Alta who also lived in the country with livestock and Mom was happy. Her younger sister, Ann lived with her mom but the sisters could visit alot. Nell married Al Hudson at a young age at McKendree Methodist Church, Nashville, Tennessee and they lived on Green Hills Drive and enjoyed having 3 boys Gary, Hardy and Randy there before moving to Biltmore Dr where Debbie was born. That completed the family of 6 with 4 children. Nell and Al both loved fishing and golf and all the kids were taught golf lessons at a very young age. They took the kids to the banks of Center Hill Lake while Debbie was still in her playpen. Nell was serious about her fishing and cooking on the campfire morning noon and night. Now about this family of future golfers-- Boy, with this family of serious competitors-- if you didn't talk golf at the dinner table, you didn't talk. All the family members golfed at Richland Country Club. Mr Al was playing poker in the men's tap room til the wait staff couldn't lie any longer. Dinner time was over! The boys all became very good golfers and several times played each other for the club championship- Poor Daddy, who to pull for? Now Mama Nell was a good golfer and won several of the ladies events herself. This family was an athletic competitive family. Hey even Debbie won the Women's Jr. Golf Club Championship. But Gary was the football stud. He got a football scholarship to Vanderbilt and at every game you could hear Daddy above all others… yelling…….Go Littleman! Gary was so glad to be at Vanderbilt with his studies but also being in Nashville close to home so he could bring all the football buddies home to eat. Two turkeys and he would say… Mom do we have any more food? Ha! Then he was off to become a 2nd lieutenant becoming a pilot and flew all over the world many times. Then he went off to work for Minnie Pearl Fried Chicken in California, then other adventures shuffled him around the country with new franchise opportunities and then to settle in Dallas. He first got into Commercial Real Estate, then he fancied the oil business and was mentored by some of Dallas’s top oil men- the Oil business has been good to him...after all these years. Now Hardy had landed in Orlando after college working for Mattel toys but he disliked it because it was too easy and as he tells it, “Barbie sells herself”, so he started finding items at garage sales and estate sales and collected so many opening a small store and now after 50 years, he's still in the antique business in Winter Park, Fla becoming a Sotheby's expert on Majolica and many other collectibles. Now there's Randy who sold golf clubs to the Japanese after college and becoming one of the well known golfers in Nashville and also trying out for the mini golf tour. He continued to golf and became well known for his golfing prowess up until this very day. Ask him about anything dealing with golf and he will give you a knowledgeable opinion on it. Debbi married and had one son, Justin Callahan after moving to Dallas, that became their home. Debbi attended interior design school in Dallas and she started her interior design business that is still running strong. After Al's passing at age 68, Mom ran their display company until there was an explosion from a large drum of paint thinner and everything blew up- so Gary living in Dallas brought Mom into the Oil business asking her “what would you like to do in the oil business?” She declared” I wanna be a land man ! “ So she started leasing land for oil exploration in a small town in Tennessee called Wartburg, Did I say it was a small town? Only one diner in the town...oh it was her favorite time ever. She told me she felt free and she loved her new life. Well the oil business hit a bad economy after 6 years and she came back to Dallas...knowing she loved traveling , she became a travel agent. She began to travel and loved that freedom too- so after being widowed for 15 yrs she met her husband on a dating travel service, no not online...it was still snail mail. She married Ardell and moved to California - marrying in Nashville in 1992. they traveled all over the world Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Turkey, Greece, South America, All over Mexico, Switzerland, England, France, Capri, South of France, Monte Carlo, Bermuda, Spain, Portugal, Alaska, Belfast, Istanbul, many times over...until he fell unable to travel so much. So back in Dallas they came and moved into an assisted living community and lived there for 7 years until Ardell passed from natural causes of dementia. Mom lived on for 6 more years as Dallas was where her oldest son Gary and Debbie lived. So we got to be with Mom alot in her last years, doing brunches, musical events, horse races, champagne dinners, church, anything there might be FUN. So to say Mom lived a wonderful life being filled with family, grit, strength and enthusiasm to her last day October 25, 2020 when she went to be with her heavenly Father. WE know she is dancing and singing with the Jesus that she loves as he loves her. Nell survived her two husbands, both parents, and her sister Ann Hackney, Survivors are 3 sons…Gary R Hudson, Hardy M Hudson, Randy A Hudson and daughter Debbi A Hudson, grandchildren, Justin Kyle Callahan and wife Sara Beth Callahan, Sarah Alexandra Hudson, niece Charlotte Jellicorse and her husband, Tom Jellicorse. The family wants to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our friends, relatives and contemporaries in celebrating Nell Naomi Hudson Schmitts life. Love to all !