Trudy spent her childhood days among the pecan and apple orchards on her family’s farm on Welcome Lane in Opelika. Her mother, Cherry Sue Jackson, was an artist, singer and composer with songs recorded by Acuff-Rose on her Welcome Lane label. She turned down an offer to become a regular at the Grand Ole Opry to marry Henry Jackson and move to Opelika.
Cherry Sue attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Art and studied art in Paris and the University of Grenoble. She was the founder of the Opelika Arts Association’s Arts Festival, which was held for many years at the municipal park.
Trudy and her family visited her grandfather, Carey Orr, in Chicago, Ill., during summers. She has fond memories of being with her grandfather, “Bampa,” watching him create his artwork at his studio and office at the Chicago Tribune.
“He was always so kind and let me stand around and watch while he did his drawings.
“I remember my grandfather as a humble, kind and giving man,” says Trudy. “He was a larger-than-life famous man, who was a semi-professional baseball player, political cartoonist, teacher and inventor. My grandfather was the real talent in the family. Someone like him only came around once in a generation.”
Carey Orr became interested in being an artist at age 10 when a wanderer stopped by his grandparents’ farm in Ohio asking for food. As thanks for the food offered by Orr’s grandmother, the man drew a picture of Jesus for the family while sitting at the table.
Orr had never seen anyone draw. He decided immediately he wanted to become an artist and drew on every piece of paper he could find.
When he was 10 years old, he was blinded in an accident while roughhousing with friends. Orr never wanted anyone to know he only had vision in one eye, but it didn’t prevent him from becoming a famous artist.
He played semi-pro baseball until he saved enough funds to attend the Chicago Academy of Fine Art. Orr was working as a political cartoonist with a newspaper in Nashville when the owner of the Chicago Tribune offered him a job.
After returning to Chicago, he began teaching cartooning at the Academy of Fine Art where one of his students was Walt Disney. Orr became his mentor and an early role model. He inspired Disney to use his imagination. When Disney found a mouse in a drawer with his art supplies, for instance, he named him Mickey Mouse.
In December 1955, Trudy’s family was featured on the front page of the Tribune on Christmas Day. Trudy was about 4 months old and was pictured with her mother holding her. Her grandfather wrote with the drawing, “The beautiful gifts that old Santa left.”
Orr was honored on the television show “This is Your Life,” when Trudy was 5 years old. The family was on the show with one of the guests, Walt Disney. Afterwards, the family was invited as Walt’s guests at Disneyland.
In 1961, Orr received the Pulitzer Prize for a cartoon that was published in October 1960. He also received several awards from the Freedoms Foundation and was presented with a gold medal from the United States government for his World War I cartoons.
Along with being a front-page cartoonist and editorial cartoonist for the paper, Orr also created the comic strip “The Kernel Cootie.” He donated many of his cartoons to Syracuse University and museums around the world. The Queen of England requested two of his cartoons during the war.
A person of many talents, Orr was also an inventor. One of his inventions was developing the process for running color in newspapers.
Other notable artists in the family include Carey Orr’s niece, Martha Orr Hassel, who created the “Apple Mary” comic strip that evolved into “Mary Worth.” Trudy’s cousin Carey Orr Cook created a series of language-based comic strips, cartoons, games, analogy sets and puzzles. He also created comic strips for the Stock Market Game.
Trudy’s niece, Jane Randall Cleek, who grew up in Opelika, is a well-known artist and teaches art. Trudy’s sister, Cherry Jackson, also has a degree in art, while her niece, Laurel Buckalew of Opelika uses her creative in different ways.
After Trudy graduated from Auburn University with a degree in art education, she taught art within the Opelika school system for 13 years. A friend encouraged her to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. She enrolled for summer classes, then entered the graduate program. She received a master’s degree in art education in 1992.
While she enjoyed teaching art, Trudy also had a love of painting, printmaking and illustration, and drew inspiration from the birds and roses in her father’s garden.
After she graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, Trudy’s husband, Steve Hung, who had been a faculty member of Auburn University, accepted a position in Michigan at the Ford Motor Company.
While in Michigan, Trudy continued working on her personal projects and received awards for her printmaking in several art shows. She taught art at three schools before the Hungs moved to Wytham, England, for Steve’s work.
After the couple returned to Michigan, Trudy continued working with her printing press until their daughter, Abby, was born. Trudy set aside her art to focus on raising her.
In 2019, the Hung family moved back to Auburn as Abby began her studies at Auburn University.
With a love of art continuing to be prevalent in the family, Trudy is planning to return to her creative roots. Her grandfather’s work continues to inspire her at home, where many of his original artworks and proofs are framed in both color and black and white.
“It gives me great joy seeing the work of my grandfather and other family members hanging on my walls,” says Trudy. “It inspires me, and I am proud to call him my grandfather because of his kindness, loving nature and general interest in others.”
