Nicholas V. Hudelson of Pomona, Kan., farmer, stockman and banker, is a native of Indiana, having been born at Paoli, that state, on Aug. 24, 1842. He was the sixth in a family of ten sons and daughters born to William H. and Elizabeth (Springer) Hudelson, the former of whom was born at Paris, Ky., in 1810, and was the son of David M. Hudelson, also a native of Kentucky, where he was reared and married, but who removed from Kentucky to a farm near Paoli, Ind., when William Hudelson was about ten years old. There he grew to manhood and, in 1831, chose for a life companion Miss Elizabeth Springer. This union was blessed with ten children: John A., Lydia A., David M., Sarah J., Henry H., Nicholas V., Albert T., Lanville R., Emma, and Adda F. William H. Hudelson. continued to reside at Paoli, Ind., until his death and was an active participant in the social, business and church affairs of that day. Originally he was a Whig in politics, but later he helped to organize the Republican party, and ever after was a stanch supporter of its principles and policies. He was a Presbyterian in his religious belief and for over twenty-five years was an elder in the church.

Nicholas V. Hudelson had scarcely completed his education in the local schools and was yet in his teens when the great internecine strife between the North and the South culminated in the firing on Fort Sumter, and the martyred Lincoln's call for troops to defend the Union. He soon responded to that appeal to patriotism by enlisting on July 9, 1861, in Company B, Twenty-fourth Indiana infantry, under Col. Alvin P. Hovey. On August 19 he left with his regiment for St. Louis, Mo., and from there moved to the interior of the state. In February, 1862, his regiment was ordered to attack Fort Donelson, but it surrendered before the regiment came up, and the latter moved to Fort Henry and later joined Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing. There in the great battle of Shiloh young Hudelson was with his regiment on the firing line when, on the second day at about 4 p. m., his right arm was nearly severed from his body by a minie ball, and he was removed to the hospital. The wound proved so severe that he was compelled to remain in the hospital until November, when he received an honorable discharge and returned home. As soon as he was able to work he began clerking in a store and later engaged in the dry goods business at Paoli, Ind., which he successfully followed until 1874, when he disposed of his business and removed to a tract of land three miles south of Pomona, Kan., where he engaged in farming and stock raising. His family, consisting of a wife and two sons, accompanied him to Kansas, for on Sept. 5, 1865, he had married Miss Mary E. Albert, daughter of John C. and Ellen E. (McVeagh) Albert of Paoli, Ind. The former was a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Paoli, Ind., where Mary E. was born on Dec. 8, 1846. She was reared there and educated in the Paoli schools and at Perrysburg, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Hudelson were born two sons: John W., born Sept. 17, 1866, and James A., born March 7, 1869, both of whom were small boys when they accompanied their parents to Kansas. They were reared near Pomona to be farmers and stockmen, and were educated in the local schools and at Ottawa University. When each son reached maturity his father gave him a third interest in his business, and today each holds a third interest in the firm of N. V. Hudelson & Sons, which handles more live stock annually than all of the other Franklin county stockmen combined. Hudelson & Sons handle several thousand head of western cattle each year, besides feeding for market large numbers of domestic cattle and hogs. They also farm on an extensive scale, for they seed and harvest each year over 2,000 acres of grain, every bushel of which is fed by them. While in the past they have dealt largely in mules and hogs, at present they handle mules in limited numbers, and owing to the high price of hogs they handle but few. In addition to their live stock and farming interests they own a controlling interest in the Citizens' State Bank of Pomona, of which John W. Hudelson is president, and James A. is cashier, both of whom reside in Pomona, and have recently erected two of the finest modern residences to be found in Franklin county. They are located opposite each other on Main street in the south part of the town and present a very fine appearance to the stranger who gets his first view of Pomona from either of the railroads. John W. Hudelson was married, in 1891, to Miss Minnie Parkinson, and they have two children, Nina V. and John R. In May, 1904, James A. Hudelson married Miss Mabel Vigor and five children bless their union: Mary L., Nicholas V., Frances A., Lois, and James A., Jr. The Hudelsons are all lifelong Republicans of the stalwart type. Mr. and Mrs. Hudelson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he keeps in touch with his old comrades in arms by holding membership in Pomona Post, No. 496, Grand Army of the Republic. He and his sons are all members of the Texas Cattlemen's Association.