About 1855 Rudolph, and his parents, and 2 older brothers left Germany and came to the USA, probably on a steamship line. The story has always been told in our family that Rudolph's father died aboard ship and was buried at sea. When the rest of the family got to America they went to Toledo, Ohio.
His mother died. He was put into an orphanage. We do not know what happened to his siblings. Apparently he did not know his birthday, so they stood him up alongside other boys his size, and gave him June 15 as his birthday...1/2 way through the year.
A couple, Mr. & Mrs. Junkins, came to the orphanage to adopt a girl, but there was non available. They said they would take Rudolph. So he lived with them through some of his teen years.
Rudolph lied about his age, and joined the military on October 24, 1861 in Wood Co. Ohio in order to fight in the Civil War. [Civil War records showing him enlisting (again?) on 1-2-1862]. He was in Company K, 67th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. In 1862, in Virginia, he fought at Winchester, Strasburg, Fort Royal, Harrison's Landing and Malvern Hill. On July 18, 1863, while fighting a fierce battle with a unite of black soldiers, (which lasted several days), at Ft. Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina, Rudolph was shot in the right eye. The ball was never removed. He was transferred to the 85th Pennsylvania Veterans Corps for February and March of 1864. [Civil War records show he was transferred to Company 172, 2nd Battalion, Regiment U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on 9-19-1864 and transferred out on 9-19-1884] He spent several months recovering from the wound and was discharged from service on Oct. 24, 1864 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Rudolph returned to Ohio, and to the Junkins farm, only to find the family ill with cholera. Rudolph took care of the animals, climbing in and out of an upstairs window. The entire Junkins family died from the disease.
Rudolph then worked at another farm, where he met Mary Catherine Cunningham, who was born in Henry Co. Ohio. She did the milking, while Rudolph did the heavier chores.
[In the obituary, Mary's name is misspelled. It should be "Cunningham"]
After Mary died Rudolph stayed with children or grand children for a month at a time. He gave them the money he received as a veteran, (about $12.00)
Albert & Merle (his grandchildren) say that in order to get his exercise, he would hook his cane over the clothes line and walk back and forth, allowing the cane to guide him. (I, his great grand daughter have his cane. I use it every day).
His mother died. He was put into an orphanage. We do not know what happened to his siblings. Apparently he did not know his birthday, so they stood him up alongside other boys his size, and gave him June 15 as his birthday...1/2 way through the year.
A couple, Mr. & Mrs. Junkins, came to the orphanage to adopt a girl, but there was non available. They said they would take Rudolph. So he lived with them through some of his teen years.
Rudolph lied about his age, and joined the military on October 24, 1861 in Wood Co. Ohio in order to fight in the Civil War. [Civil War records showing him enlisting (again?) on 1-2-1862]. He was in Company K, 67th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. In 1862, in Virginia, he fought at Winchester, Strasburg, Fort Royal, Harrison's Landing and Malvern Hill. On July 18, 1863, while fighting a fierce battle with a unite of black soldiers, (which lasted several days), at Ft. Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina, Rudolph was shot in the right eye. The ball was never removed. He was transferred to the 85th Pennsylvania Veterans Corps for February and March of 1864. [Civil War records show he was transferred to Company 172, 2nd Battalion, Regiment U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on 9-19-1864 and transferred out on 9-19-1884] He spent several months recovering from the wound and was discharged from service on Oct. 24, 1864 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Rudolph returned to Ohio, and to the Junkins farm, only to find the family ill with cholera. Rudolph took care of the animals, climbing in and out of an upstairs window. The entire Junkins family died from the disease.
Rudolph then worked at another farm, where he met Mary Catherine Cunningham, who was born in Henry Co. Ohio. She did the milking, while Rudolph did the heavier chores.
[In the obituary, Mary's name is misspelled. It should be "Cunningham"]
After Mary died Rudolph stayed with children or grand children for a month at a time. He gave them the money he received as a veteran, (about $12.00)
Albert & Merle (his grandchildren) say that in order to get his exercise, he would hook his cane over the clothes line and walk back and forth, allowing the cane to guide him. (I, his great grand daughter have his cane. I use it every day).
About 1855 Rudolph, and his parents, and 2 older brothers left Germany and came to the USA, probably on a steamship line. The story has always been told in our family that Rudolph's father died aboard ship and was buried at sea. When the rest of the family got to America they went to Toledo, Ohio.
His mother died. He was put into an orphanage. We do not know what happened to his siblings. Apparently he did not know his birthday, so they stood him up alongside other boys his size, and gave him June 15 as his birthday...1/2 way through the year.
A couple, Mr. & Mrs. Junkins, came to the orphanage to adopt a girl, but there was non available. They said they would take Rudolph. So he lived with them through some of his teen years.
Rudolph lied about his age, and joined the military on October 24, 1861 in Wood Co. Ohio in order to fight in the Civil War. [Civil War records showing him enlisting (again?) on 1-2-1862]. He was in Company K, 67th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. In 1862, in Virginia, he fought at Winchester, Strasburg, Fort Royal, Harrison's Landing and Malvern Hill. On July 18, 1863, while fighting a fierce battle with a unite of black soldiers, (which lasted several days), at Ft. Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina, Rudolph was shot in the right eye. The ball was never removed. He was transferred to the 85th Pennsylvania Veterans Corps for February and March of 1864. [Civil War records show he was transferred to Company 172, 2nd Battalion, Regiment U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on 9-19-1864 and transferred out on 9-19-1884] He spent several months recovering from the wound and was discharged from service on Oct. 24, 1864 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Rudolph returned to Ohio, and to the Junkins farm, only to find the family ill with cholera. Rudolph took care of the animals, climbing in and out of an upstairs window. The entire Junkins family died from the disease.
Rudolph then worked at another farm, where he met Mary Catherine Cunningham, who was born in Henry Co. Ohio. She did the milking, while Rudolph did the heavier chores.
[In the obituary, Mary's name is misspelled. It should be "Cunningham"]
After Mary died Rudolph stayed with children or grand children for a month at a time. He gave them the money he received as a veteran, (about $12.00)
Albert & Merle (his grandchildren) say that in order to get his exercise, he would hook his cane over the clothes line and walk back and forth, allowing the cane to guide him. (I, his great grand daughter have his cane. I use it every day).
His mother died. He was put into an orphanage. We do not know what happened to his siblings. Apparently he did not know his birthday, so they stood him up alongside other boys his size, and gave him June 15 as his birthday...1/2 way through the year.
A couple, Mr. & Mrs. Junkins, came to the orphanage to adopt a girl, but there was non available. They said they would take Rudolph. So he lived with them through some of his teen years.
Rudolph lied about his age, and joined the military on October 24, 1861 in Wood Co. Ohio in order to fight in the Civil War. [Civil War records showing him enlisting (again?) on 1-2-1862]. He was in Company K, 67th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. In 1862, in Virginia, he fought at Winchester, Strasburg, Fort Royal, Harrison's Landing and Malvern Hill. On July 18, 1863, while fighting a fierce battle with a unite of black soldiers, (which lasted several days), at Ft. Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina, Rudolph was shot in the right eye. The ball was never removed. He was transferred to the 85th Pennsylvania Veterans Corps for February and March of 1864. [Civil War records show he was transferred to Company 172, 2nd Battalion, Regiment U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on 9-19-1864 and transferred out on 9-19-1884] He spent several months recovering from the wound and was discharged from service on Oct. 24, 1864 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Rudolph returned to Ohio, and to the Junkins farm, only to find the family ill with cholera. Rudolph took care of the animals, climbing in and out of an upstairs window. The entire Junkins family died from the disease.
Rudolph then worked at another farm, where he met Mary Catherine Cunningham, who was born in Henry Co. Ohio. She did the milking, while Rudolph did the heavier chores.
[In the obituary, Mary's name is misspelled. It should be "Cunningham"]
After Mary died Rudolph stayed with children or grand children for a month at a time. He gave them the money he received as a veteran, (about $12.00)
Albert & Merle (his grandchildren) say that in order to get his exercise, he would hook his cane over the clothes line and walk back and forth, allowing the cane to guide him. (I, his great grand daughter have his cane. I use it every day).
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