Nelle Clardy Hudson was Eulogized at Nashville Spruce Street Baptist Church amidst a Choral Praise that moved me in a way that I had not known for a very long time.
I am taken to that day when William Sappe was Eulogized at Salem, Harlem during my passage there as Associate Pastor. William sang in “Four Choirs”, who processed together with two going in each direction to take the split chancel choir lofts and the other two to the Balcony on each side. The Melodies that day were from… Heaven! Of such was the music ministry rendered at the Homegoing Services for Nelle. There was a constant talk about her Choral Praise and witness to her invitations to ‘Join The Choir’.
I met Nelle Clardy while tracing the Line History of Alpha Chi Spring ’53; the Delta Chapter of Tennessee State University. In our initial conversation, she invited me to come and Worship at Spruce Street. There, she turned over to me her TSU Yearbooks to fill in some gaps in her Line History. She reminded me of my Grandmother; without my even knowing that she was the former First Lady of Spruce Street!
Born in Claremore, OK, Nelle was educated in the Tulsa Public Schools; Booker T. Washington High School. She chose TSU and at a sorority/fraternity party she met the love of her life, Charles R. Hudson. She became “the consummate Air Force officer’s wife during seven tours of duty. As a member of the Officer’s Wives Clubs she sang in The ChoralBelles and other base choirs as they moved and built the Family of Five Children.”
She then invited me to the weekly night Bible Study. There I met her two Sisters-in-Law, Ola Hudson and Rae Watkins. Talk about ‘Salt of the Earth’… just plain… Salt.
There was actually Three Eulogies given. Who but God can do that? The ‘Choral Praise’? “All Day Long” I’ve been with Jesus, all day long, my lips have uttered praise”. And “God is a Good God, God don’t ever change. God is a Good God that’s why I’ll ever praise His Name.” And the Soloist, “Great is Thy Faithfulness… there is no shadow or turning in Thee”. The touch that was new to me was a recording of Nelle singing “To God Be The Glory” as she was recessed from Spruce Street Church.
The moral of this Column? Every day is a day of Thanksgiving. Take the time to Glorify The Lord!
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