Rudy Knoll gets his start in Perry County, Missouri, but you will read today that he made a few moves back and forth across Middle America during his life. Along the way on this wild ride, he meets his bride in Colorado, and I think one could characterize her as a wild rider. We begin with the Perry County birthday boy.

Rudolph John Knoll was born on December 2, 1899, so today would be his 125th birthday. Rudy was the son of Michael and Sarah Georgia (Venable) Knoll. This past July, I wrote the story of Rudy’s parents in the post, Michael and Georgia – The Friedenberg Knoll’s. The children in this Knoll family do not have baptism records that are found in our German Family Tree. Rudy’s mother was a member of York Chapel in Longtown, so perhaps that is where these children were baptized. Rudy is found in his first census entry in 1900 as a baby. His father was a farmer in the Central Township.

Rudy’s mother died in 1907 when Rudy was just 7 years old. Another child had been born to the Knoll’s in 1902, but that child died in 1904. So, Rudy spent his childhood as the baby in the family. In the 1910 census, Rudy was called 9 years old, even though I think he was 10.

Rudy had an older sister named Carrie. She is not listed in the above census. Instead, we find Carrie living in Colorado Springs, Colorado where she was a maid for a family that included 3 widowed people. This might explain how Rudy would end up finding a wife in Colorado.

Rudy had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He is given a Menfro address and was working with his father on his farm.

The last census in which we find Rudy living in Missouri was the one taken in 1920. `He was helping his father on his farm. There is a girl, Lulu, listed as being younger than Rudy, but she was actually an older sister.

During the next decade, Rudy would get married, and he would find his bride in Pueblo, Colorado. I do not know exactly how that happened, but let’s take a look at this girl from Colorado. Her name was Flora Irene Sapp, who was born on April 3, 1907. She was the daughter of Robert and Mary (Thomas) Sapp. I located this photo of Flora when she was very young.

I was unable to find Flora in the 1910 census, so the only census entry in which I found Flora as being unmarried was the one taken in 1920. She was 12 years old, and her father was called a ditch watchman for a steel company. There was a business in Pueblo called the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, and that is likely where Flora’s father worked.

I located this photo of Flora as a high school student.

I think this photo was taken prior to Flora’s wedding. She is called Flora Sapp in a caption for this photo on Ancestry.com. She is standing with a man named Glen Jensen. You begin to get an impression of her character from this photo.

Rudy Knoll married Flora Sapp on October 11, 1926. According to this Colorado marriage record, this couple was married in Denver.

A family tree on Ancestry.com lists 5 children born to Rudy and Flora, one of which died as an infant. A 1928 city directory for Denver shows this young family living in that city, and calls Rudy a carpenter.

Fairly early in Rudy’s life, this photo was taken.

The Knoll’s made a move prior to the 1930 census. By that time, they were living in East Moline, Illinois where Rudy was a sheet metal worker. Just one child that was born in Colorado was in their family.

Next, we find the Knoll’s back in Colorado and living in Blende, which is part of the Pueblo metropolitan area. Rudy was a painter for a railroad.

Rudy had a World War II draft card completed in 1942. It says Rudy was a carpenter for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway.

The map below shows the routes that were part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Pacific Railrod. Pueblo is found on the far right on this image. You can see that it was from Pueblo that a main artery went west through the Rocky Mountains to California.

Here are a few other photos of the Knoll’s. First, here is one showing Flora on a horse with one of her youngsters.

Also, here is one showing both Rudy and Flora. They are decked out in clothing used for riding horses.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. I think it says Rudy was working in the engine building for the railroad. Flora was working as a supervisor at a hospital. Three children remained in their household.

Later in his life, Rudy had this photo taken of him and his son, Robert Knoll.

Rudy Knoll died in 1960 at the age of 60. I am able to display a transcription of his obituary.

I found a few other photos of Flora. I do not know if this first one was taken before or after her husband’s death.

The next one includes Flora (in the middle) along with her daughters, Shirley Millard and Donna Knoll.

Flora Knoll lived for 37 years as a widow. She died in 1997 at the age of 89. Here is an obituary for her.

Rudy and Flora Knoll are buried together in the Imperial Memorial Gardens in Pueblo.

I figure that Rudy Knoll had quite a wild ride through life, but I also think his wife, Flora, had a wilder one.