I will attempt to tell the story of a man who spent his early life in this region, but eventually made his way to Detroit. Then, surprisingly, he died in the state of Georgia. I will admit ahead of time that this story has a few holes in it.
Rudolph Gottfried Brandes was born on May 4, 1896, thus making today his 128th birthday. Rudolph was the son of Gustav and Marie (Bronnenkant) Brandes. A previous post, Brandes’s Bronnenkant Bride, told the story of Rudoph’s parents. Rudolph was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. His baptism record below illustrates a fact that I have often seen with men named Rudolph. His name was spelled as Rudolf on this document.
Rudolph is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. His father was a farmer in the Union Township.
During the middle part of the first decade in the 20th century, we find a few Brandes children baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown. Then, when Rudolph was confirmed in 1909, his confirmation record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest. The Brandes family must have moved from Perry County shortly after Rudolph’s confirmation because in the 1910 census, we find the Brandes family living in the Fountain Bluff Township in Jackson County, Illinois. Rudolph’s father was called a harness maker. After this time, records for people in this family can be found in the books of Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois.
Rudolph had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. His form says he was working on his father’s farm.
The last census in which we find Rudolph living in Illinois is the one taken in 1920. At the age of 23, Rudolph was still helping on his father’s farm.
Rudolph made a move to Detroit during the 1920’s. He is found in the 1930 census in his 30’s and working as a stock clerk for an auto body manufacturing company. I find it interesting that 4 of the others in the household where he was a boarder were born in Illinois, including one named Martin Arbeiter. Martin was born in Jacob and baptized at Christ Lutheran Church.
Now, it is time to take a look at the woman who became Rudolph’s wife. She was quite the challenge to research. I finally discovered that her maiden name was likely Claire Bertha Laird, who was born on June 10, 1896, probably in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Elmer and Ida (Oberheim) Laird. We find her in the 1900 census at the age of 3. Her family was living in the Rush Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania which is where Phillipsburg is located. Her father was an ice dealer.
Next, we find Claire in the 1910 census as a teenager. This time her father is called a farmer in Phillipsburg.
Although I did not find an exact date for the wedding, I think Claire married a man by the name of Edward Dixon prior to 1917. Edward’s World War I draft registration says he was married, and a 1918 city directory for Johnstown, Pennsylvania says his wife’s name was Claire. In the 1920 census, Claire and Edward were living in Johnstown where Edward was a conductor for a steam railroad.
Edward Dixon died in 1922, leaving Claire as a widow. Here is where Claire’s trail dries up. I figure that she married a second time to a man with the surname, Campbell, but I found no documentation for it. Then, on March 29, 1940, Rudolph Brandes married Claire Campbell in Detroit. The names of Claire’s parents are on this form, and it was those names that led me to know more about Claire Campbell.
No children are ever found in any census entry for either Rudolph or Claire. This couple got married early enough in 1940 to be shown together in that year’s census entry. Rudolph was said to be a laborer at what was called a body-auto factory.
The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. The Brandes couple was living in Livonia, which is a part of the Detroit metropolitan area. Claire’s mother, Ida Laird, was living with them. This time, Rudolph was a stock room clerk for an adding machine plant.
Rudolph Brandes died in 1966 at the age of 69. The death certificate below says he died in Warner-Robins, Georgia. It also says his usual residence was still in Michigan. I have no idea why his death took place in Georgia.
What I do know is that when Claire Brandes died in 1977, she also died in Warner-Robins, Georgia. The Georgia death index shown here gives evidence of that fact.
Rudolph Brandes has a Findagrave.com entry for the White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Michigan, but there is no gravestone photo. I was unable to determine where Claire was buried.
As you can see, this Rudolph Brandes story has some missing pieces. However, I found his story as it progressed from Uniontown, Missouri to Jacob, Illinois, to Detroit, Michigan, and ending up with him dying in Warner-Robins, Georgia to be quite fascinating.
According to a Georgia obit Rudolph and his wife were visiting a daughter, Mrs. William Kingery, whom I suspect was from a previous marriage of Claire. He became ill and was admitted to a hospital where he later died. He was retired from Burroughs at the time of his death. Claire’s Georgia obit stated was buried at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy Michigan. As stated earlier, Claire is not found on Find A Grave.
Warren, I would think that Rudolph worked at Burroughs Corp in Michigan. They made business equipment beginning in the late 1800s, according to Wikipedia. You found him working as a “stock room clerk” in an adding machine plant in MI in the 1940 census. It is a good guess that was Burroughs Co. Since his death cert. says he worked for Burroughs and was living in GA, we are probably safe saying he, for some reason, was transferred there or asked to be transferred there. GA has a better climate than Michigan and I would have moved there, too. They had no children you could find, so a move would be reasonable. Nicht war?
Sounds reasonable.