The George V. Rudolph Family

For almost a century some members of the family have lived on the 80-acre Rudolph homestead, purchased in 1880, located south and east of McClure, in Damascus Twp.

At that time, only a small part of the farm had been cleared of trees and brush. Every year several acres were cleared, surfaced drained, and underground tile-ditch drainage was provided, first, by handmade, long wooden rectangular tile, then later clay tile was used in the tile-ditch, dug by hand with a spade.

Several acres of woodlot was saved to supply fire wood, lumber for buildings, shingles for roofing, rails for fences, runners for "mud-boats" (used when roads were too muddy for wagons), small articles such as, ax handles, wooden mauls, etc.

The present brick house was built in 1888, when most of the farms were only half cleared. In 1912, the original barn was remodeled and the new stock barn was added; gasoline engine power provided electric lights, pumped water, and ground feed for stock.

George V. Rudolph (1849-1919) son of Joseph and Rebecca Clutter Rudolph, was born in Hampshire Co., W. Va. After the death of his parents when he was 8 years old, he went to live with his Uncle Elijah Rudolph, near Winchester, Va. During the Civil War, this area was a highly contested battleground.

In 1869, George came west to settle in Ohio. He married Harriet Snapp (1867-1891) formerly from Virginia and they lived east of McClure. He worked as a carpenter and as a steam-fitter in a shop to make wooden pumps. In 1880, he purchased the family homestead.

A daughter, M. Celestie (Brown) (1869-1902) married U. E. Brown. The descendents of a son, Glenn (1894?1945) have moved with their families from Lima to Arizona and California. Descendents of a daughter Hazel (Clover) (1899-1952) live in Texas, Michigan, and N.W. Ohio.

Daughter, Alberta V. (Kistner) (1879-1896) had descendents of a daughter, Elva (Smith) (1896-1917) - sons Harold and Harley.

Harley (1917-1935) died of a gun accident in his senior year.
Harold Smith (1915-1948) married Marie Dietrich of Malinta. Their daughters, Rosalie and Suzanne, now live in Napoleon.
Rosalie attended business college and has been employed by the telephone company for several years in Deshler and Napoleon. She lives in her mobile home in Napoleon.

Suzanne also after graduation attended business college and was an employee of the telephone company. She is married to Terry Zellers, who is employed by the County. They are remodeling their home in Napoleon. Their daughter, Kim, is in elementary school and her sister Shannon will go to school next year.

The many changes in pioneer living conditions began to be quite evident in the early 1890's and hard work had paid off in more comfortable living.

In 1892, George V. Rudolph (1849-1919) married a second time. He married Mamie Kistner (1869-1947) whose parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Kistner, had acquired a homestead in Richfield Twp.

My mother, Mamie Rudolph, was my Pioneer Woman of courage, faith, strength, kindness, generosity, love of home and family, and many other qualities that made her such an asset to the community. She was thrifty and the vegetable garden, the fruit trees, the milk products providing butter, cheese, buttermilk, cream and milk, gave abundance and variety to a well- balanced diet. Fruits were dried and canned, apples stored in winter. She was a provider.

They had three daughters, Esther, Edna, and Bessie, and one son, Irvin, who grew to adulthood. All were born at home, as was customary. The doctor came by horse and buggy when a child was born and a neighbor woman or a relative came to assist him. My mother always answered a neighbor's call for such help.

Esther C. (1898-1934) was married to Earl M. Brown in 1920. They had one child who died in infancy. She taught school three years in Damascus Twp. and one year in Richfield Twp. She took an active part in church work of Bethany C. U.

Earl was a farmer and they made their home on the Matthew Brown homestead in Damascus Twp.

Edna M. has a B.S. degree in education and later added a teaching minor in commercial subjects from Bowling Green State College. She has taught 41 years in Henry County Schools, 9 years in elementary and rural, 32 years in Malinta-Grelton High School.

Her interest in travel has taken her to all 50 states, the Provinces in Canada, all countries of Europe and to Iceland, to all the continents, including the Antarctic Continent, and trips around the world by planes and ships.

She has always lived in the same house in which she was born, the Rudolph homestead in Damascus Twp. of which she is a co-owner.

Bessie Rudolph (Alspaugh) was married in 1924 to John C. Alspaugh

(1902-1972) son of Wm. E. and Myrtle Alspaugh. They have a daughter Margaret and a son Eldon G. The family home in McClure is located on the site of the old "wooden barrel stave" mill, which made barrels for shipping and for storage of flour, soda crackers, syrup, sugar, cider, potatoes, apples, etc.

Across from their home is another landmark, formerly the Seekamp Bakery in which he built a pioneer type brick oven with a capacity of 200 loaves; the most he baked was 1000 loaves in a day. It was heated by wood and coke and single-loaf pan was placed on a long-handled "peel" to put bread in the oven. In New York City he learned as an apprentice the hard way, because the recipes were trade secrets. John learned the bakery trade from him.

Bessie taught school in Damascus Twp., was an auto-license registrar, and was employed by the B. G. University Union bakery. She is active in church work and senior citizens group activities.

John was a licensed stationary- engine fireman in McClure School and at B.G. State Garage, and he was Village Clerk for several years.

They enjoyed trips in U.S. and Canada as well as fishing trips.

Margaret worked at Rossford War Depot and is now employed as a cook at Scotch Ridge School. She is married to Warren Krukemyer, a grain and livestock farmer, and a school bus driver for Eastwood School. They live in the Krukemyer Family Homestead east of Bowling Green. The family is active in Lutheran Church activities and community affairs. Their children are Janis, Kenneth, and John.

Janis was trained and worked at Wood County Hospital. She is married to Jack Heller, who served 4 years in the Army and in Vietnam. He is employed by a company in Bowling Green. They have twin daughters, Michele and Jennifer, in school and Scotty. They are the fourth generation of the Alspaugh family. They live south of Pemberville.

Kenneth, after graduation, worked as a carpenter until he entered military service in the army. He was killed in action in Vietnam, May, 1969. He received medals and citation awards for bravery and for services over and above the call of duty.

John will be a senior at Eastwood High and Penta-County this year. He plays electric guitar with a dance orchestra group from the high school.

Eldon and his family live in Toledo; he married Joan Koder, a registered nurse, in 1950. Their children are Todd, Curtis, and Jolyn.

He is district representative for Link Belts and a large construction equipment company. Joan is part-time nurse in the children's ward of Toledo Hospital. They live in Ragan Woods, Toledo. They enjoy boating, water sports, and travel. Eldon was in the Navy in World War II. He was also a licensed pilot to fly small private planes.

Todd, with his wife Barbara (Brahier) and children Jeffry and Amy, live in Whitehouse, Ohio. He works for a construction company and also enjoys playing basketball and water sports. Jeffry and Amy are the fourth generation Alspaughs.

Curtis studies math at Toledo U. and works part-time in construction work. He has enjoyed skiing vacations in Colorado and water sports vacation in Mexico.

Jolyn is a freshman in high school and takes organ music lessons. She is a devoted fan of horse racing of the Koder horses.

Irvin E. Rudolph, now a grain farmer, is married to Helen Davis (Rudolph) a retired teacher from Damascus Twp. School. Their daughters are: Barbara Berry, Fairmount, Ind., and Shirley Phillips, Marion, Ohio.

To buy his first team of horses to start farming, he worked as a "farm hand" and in winter worked at the Overland Factory in Toledo. He is part-owner of the family homestead and has bought a 60-acre farm home in the same section.

The "team of horses" power has plowed, planted, sowed, cultivated, harvested, hauled grain to market, and helped provide feed and pasture for livestock. The high feed costs and specialization eliminated the livestock farming.

First, a tractor with metal wheels and lugs, took over until all-grain farming required bigger machinery. Now the two tractors, four-row planters, four-row cultivators, combines, corn pickers, etc. tell the story of the changes in farming in one generation.

Helen taught school for 15 years, is a member of Retired Teachers Assn., senior citizens group, and Ladies Auxiliary of The Legion. They spend four months of winter weather in Florida - fishing, golfing, traveling, and relaxing.

Barbara and her husband, Jim Berry, have worked in Gas City, Ind., for many years, for a glass company that makes glass bottles, etc. They live in Fairmount, Ind., and have three sons, Mike, Robert, and Steve. Family hobbies include tape recording, photography, antiques, vacation trips, fishing, and swimming.

Mike served in the Navy for four years, part time in the Pacific area. He and Anita were married in California and their daughter Christine is the first of the fourth generation Rudolphs. Mike works on the railroad in State of Washington.

Robert will finish four years in the Navy in August. He served in the Pacific area on the nuclear powered S.S. Enterprise which launches jet bombers. He was trained to handle, load, and service the 50-pound bomb for the jets. A piece of metal broken loose from a landing jet injured his ankle a year ago and this painful disability may disqualify him for a career in the Navy.

Steve, in high school, is interested in the field of electronics. He is a sophomore and is already the tallest one in the family of "short guys." He joins the family in their hobby interests.

Shirley (Phillips) is now in the sophomore year of nurses training at Ohio State Univ. Branch in Marion, Ohio. The training is somewhat new and concentrated so that the regular course of study is completed in a shorter time. During the summer quarter regular hospital duty for five days per week is required. With such intensified study and hospital duty, the nurses training is completed in eight university quarters.

Her husband, Roy Phillips, a Korean Veteran, with two years of college credit from Dayton College, is enrolled in the Technical College in Marion, O., for training in computer programming.

Their home is in Marion and they have four daughters: Julie, age 11; Angela, 9; Patty, 7 years; and Amy, 4, not in school yet. They enjoy school, library books, swimming, TV programs and their neighborhood pals.

Submitted by Edna M. Rudolph