09/04/2026
Today would have been Jan and Ken Hudson’s 50th wedding anniversary—a love story that began with two Gladwin County sweethearts and became a lifetime of memories for all who knew and loved them. And this morning, Jan received a beautiful reminder that another kind of love can last just as long.
Fifty years ago, in the very year Jan became a bride, she was also coaching the Beaverton freshman cheerleading team. Those young girls are very grown-up women today, but they haven’t forgotten their coach—or the milestone that happened during the year they shared with her. Together, they sent Jan these beautiful roses to remember and honor what would have been the Hudsons' golden anniversary.💛
After I delivered the flowers, Jan almost beat me back to Sugarbeet Suite. She walked in, bouquet in hand, overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness, and asked me to take this picture so those girls could see just how much their gesture meant to her.
Then she said something I don’t think I’ll soon forget:
“How kind and thoughtful of them. I guess maybe I taught them more than just how to cheer.”
Oh, Jan. You certainly did.
That is the beautiful thing about a life spent teaching, coaching, encouraging, and loving young people. You may never fully know which lessons they carried with them—the confidence you gave them, the kindness you modeled, the way you made them feel seen, or simply how to show up for someone when it matters.
Happy 50th anniversary, Jan and Ken.🌹 And to those former Beaverton cheerleaders—you remembered. And that meant everything.
