My Mother, Hilda Mae Hilton Judy reached the age of 100 years on March 11, 2011. She grew up in Ohio, the daughter of Robert Hilton, a coal miner. For years they moved to various coal mining towns; it was a hard life. She is proud to have been a "Coal Miner’s Daughter". Eventually my grandfather had his own coal mine.
She married Herman L. Judy, a machinist in 1929. Just before WW II started in 1940, my Dad got a job at the Torpedo Plant in Alexandria, Virginia, as he had been working only 2 or 3 days a week in Ohio. It was difficult to move away from all of their family but the move was successful. Mom and Dad moved with their 3 daughters, Marilyn, Donna and Minta, to the family home in Franconia, Va.. During the war, my Mom knitted many garments for the soldiers. Mom lost her youngest brother, Robert Hilton, during WWII in Italy. He had written home that he would love to be back home, safe in the old "Hilton Coal Mine". He was machine-gunned as he lay under a tarp in the rain by another frightened American soldier, friendly fire.
In 1946 and 1949 Hilda’s two adorable sons, Herman, Jr. and Robert were born. Sadly, we lost our beloved brother, Cpl. Herman L. Judy, Jr. on 5-29-69 in Vietnam. He was with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was memorialized on Alexandria’s Vietnam Memorial in 2002. Mom is an outstanding Gold Star Mother. As for myself, I remember that we were so very lucky to have had him in our lives for 23 years. On Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, we go to karaoke and I dedicate Jimmy Fortune's very beautiful song "More than a name on a wall" to Herm.
She has always been a devoted mother, cook and homemaker, the old fashioned kind. My Father passed away in 1998. He would get all dressed up to visit his son’s grave at Arlington Cemetery, but very soon he would break down and head for the car.
Mom has done a lot of handwork over the years. My sisters and I had the most beautiful clothes which she lovingly made for us. She was having difficulty maintaining the old family home, so she decided to move into the Baptist Home in Culpeper, Virginia in 2001 to live 5 miles away from my husband and I. It was her choice since she is very independent. Her memory is very sharp, her main problem is with difficulty in hearing.
Donna Judy Lathe
Associate Life Member
Chapter # 752 Vietnam Veteran’s of America
