The couple highlighted in today’s post was previously mentioned in the post, A Uniontown Family Copes with Tragedy. It was a story that focused on folks that were in the Franke and Brandes families. Those are names found regularly in the books of Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. Today’s story will also contain records found in that congregation’s books.

I will start with the groom in today’s wedding. Ernst Ferdinand Gotthilf Rudert was born on December 11, 1860. Ernst was the son of Gottlieb and Ernestine (Fiehler) Rudert. A photo of Ernst’s parents is displayed below.

Ernst was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. We can view his baptism record here.

Ernst is found in the 1870 census at the age of 9. His father was a wagon maker in the Cinque Hommes Township.

The Rudert family is found next in the 1880 census. Ernst was the oldest one of many children in this family at the age of 18. This time, his father is called a farmer, and Ernst was helping with the farming. The Rudert’s were living in the newly-formed Union Township.

Ernst would get married before we can view another census, so we will now look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Martha Emma Franke, who was born on November 8, 1868. Martha was the daughter of August and Theresa (Koenig) Franke. She was also baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. We can take a look at an image of her baptism record below. Some people back in those days would put a horizontal line over a letter to indicate that it was a double letter. So, the line over the “m” in Ema actually means that it was spelled Emma.

Martha is found in the 1870 census at the age of 1. Her father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

Next, we find Martha in the last census prior to her marriage. The 1880 census shows the Franke family living in the new Union Township. Martha was 11 years old at the time.

If we were able to view the 1890 census, we would find both Ernst and Martha as still single. Ernst Rudert married Martha Franke on October 26, 1893. That means today would be the 133rd wedding anniversary for this couple. As you would expect, they were married at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. The church marriage record is shown here.

Below is the Missouri marriage license for this couple.

A few important events took place between the time when this couple was married and the next census that was taken in 1900. In 1895 and 1897, two sons were born to this couple. Sadly, both of these boys died not long after they were born. One died just short of his first birthday, and the other died at the age of 6 months. So, when we view the 1900 census, no Rudert children were in this couple’s entry. Ernst was a farmer in the Union Township. Two young people were living with them, Addele Starzinger, a 14 year-old servant doing housekeeping and Walter Hueschen, a 15 year-old day laborer. Walter was the son of the pastor at Grace, Uniontown. I also found Walter in that same year’s census living with his father, Rev. Otto Heuschen.

Some more tragic events took place during the next decade that would impact this Rudert couple. These events were discussed in the previous post that I mentioned. Let me review them here. Martha’s sister, Anna, had married Conrad Brandes in 1894. That couple had 6 children, one of which died right away. Then, in 1906, Anna and 2 of her children died, mostly of typhoid fever. Then, a year later in 1907, Conrad, the father, died. That left 3 Brandes children as orphans. Those children were also a nephew and two nieces of Martha Rudert. Those Brandes children are found living with Ernst and Martha Rudert when the 1910 census was taken. They were called a nephew and two nieces in this entry.

When the 1920 census was taken, just William and Mary Brandes were living with the Rudert’s. Alma had married Benjamin Bock in 1919. William Brandes was helping Ernst Rudert on his farm.

In the 1930 census, just William Brandes was included in the Rudert household. Once again, Ernst and William were farming together.

Martha Rudert died in 1937 at the age of 68. According to her death certificate below, she died of a heart disease, and it says she died suddenly.

An obituary for Martha was printed in the Perry County Republican.

Ernst is found as a widower in the 1940 census. William Brandes had married Ida Rodewald in 1931, and that young family was living with Ernst. This is the only census entry in which we find one of the Brandes children called adopted. William was said to be an adopted son.

Ernst Rudert died in 1945 at the age of 84. He died of a stroke according to his death certificate. William Brandes is the informant on this document.

We are able to read Ernst’s obituary from the Perry County Sun. All 3 of the Brandes’s who were raised by Ernst and Martha are listed in this obituary. They were all married by this time.

Ernst and Martha Rudert are each buried in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown.

One of the recurring themes that I have seen when I research these German Lutheran families living in Perry County is that when there are children who needed a home when their parents died, a local couple steps up to the plate and takes them in. Many times, like in this case, the couple stepping up is one that is connected to the family of the orphans. Another factor that we often see is that the couple taking in these orphans is a couple that does not have children of their own. We see that happening in today’s story also.