Davidsons to celebrate 70th wedding anniversary

Hugh and Jane Davidson of Hamilton will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on July 18th.

Hugh and Jane met in Claremont, New Hampshire on a blind date orchestrated by family members who believed they would make a perfect match. And they were right. Hugh was on leave from the Navy and Jane was a high school girl. It was love at first sight. They married a few years later in 1950 and embarked on a grand adventure that began in Boulder, Colorado, where Hugh was a student and varsity football player at the University of Colorado. After graduation, it was clear that their life together would be marked by one word. Football. Hugh began his career coaching high school football and basketball in Osborne, Kansas. A few years later, they were back to Colorado where Hugh was hired as the freshman coach at his alma mater. During their time there, they celebrated the team’s Orange Bowl win and the birth of their oldest daughter Niki (Shonkwiler).

An assistant coaching job, at what was then Montana State University, brought Hugh and Jane to Missoula in 1958. After six years, and the birth of two more daughters, Toni (Rome) and Jill (Robbins), Hugh became head coach of the Grizzlies until 1966. Taking a hiatus from coaching, the young family moved back to Colorado where Hugh worked in restaurant management and insurance before football came calling again. This time, in Pocatello at Idaho State University. Hugh was a defensive coach there until 1972 when he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime. A career move as a college football scout with the Denver Broncos. Since his new job would entail travel across the country, he could live anywhere near an airport. The location of which was an easy one to pick. He and Jane had made lifelong friends in Montana and loved the area, so they packed up the girls and headed back to Big Sky Country and landed in Hamilton. And they have been here ever since. 

Hugh enjoyed a long career with the Broncos, 32 years to be exact. And during that time their family flourished in the Bitterroot. The girls followed in their father’s footsteps and became accomplished athletes, and while Hugh was traveling, Jane was their biggest fan. Hugh was an avid golfer and member of the Hamilton Golf Club, instilling the love of the game to his daughters. Jane played in a bridge club with her dearest friends, and worked for a time at the Chamber of Commerce. They were both committed to serving the community they love. Hugh was an active member of the Kiwanis Club. Jane was a volunteer, and onetime board member, of the Marcus Daly Hospital Guild for many years. Both were long time members of the Elks Lodge, where Hugh had held office for a time. 

Over their seventy years together, Hugh and Jane have cherished countless friendships and shared so many wonderful experiences. Some associated with football. Like six Super Bowls and proudly watching their grandsons play. They have traveled to places like Hawaii, England, Spain, and Scotland (Hugh’s ancestral roots). And when the girls married and started families of their own, they became devoted in-laws and grandparents. They attended every game, match, track meet, concert, play, graduation, and wedding that they were able. Giving their support and unconditional love to all. And while football was an integral part of their lives for many years, their family remains most important to them. 

Today, Hugh and Jane are together at the Discovery Centre, still devoted to one another. And occasionally, watching a game of football on TV and holding hands.