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Rudolph Phillip Schust was born on 29 January 1906 in Beat #9, Bibb, Alabama, the fourth of seven children of Gottscheer immigrant Matt Schust, a coal miner, and Gottscheer-American Mary G Stritzel. He was baptized at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Blocton. He completed up to the eighth grade.
At some point after the deaths of his mother and two youngest siblings, he was placed into foster care along with his four living siblings, most likely so that his father could concentrate on work. The orphanage in which they were placed was Catholic and most likely in Mobile, Alabama, where the youngest Mathew died. They were taken out at some point by their father and the family moved to Pawnee, Sangamon, Illinois sometime before Sept 1918 (as they were living there when her father filled out the 1918 World War I registration card). They were all living together in Pawnee at the time of the 1920 census.
In early adulthood, Rudolph lived with his sister Barbara and her family in Chicago, where he worked as a machinist. He would eventually move back to Pawnee, where he found work as a bartender in the tavern of Bernie Golden.
Rudolph was drafted into the military and enlisted into the Army as private on 24 March 1942, and was originally stationed at Scott Field, Illinois. He served overseas and was hospitalized twice in 1944: the first time for acute laryngitis and acute bronchitis, and the second time for a steatoma. By the end of his service, he had obtained the rank of Corporal.
He was honorably discharged from the Army on 28 September 1945, and returned to Pawnee.
Upon his return, Rudolph found employment at Freeman Crown Mine No. 1 in Farmersville, Montgomery, Illinois, where he worked until his retirement in 1968.
In October 1945 in Pawnee, he married Ada Wilson Golden, the ex-wife of his former boss, Bernie Golden. They lived together in Pawnee until her death in 1970.
Rudolph was a devout Catholic, having been a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Farmersville. He was also an active member of the American Legion post in Pawnee, helping provide assistance at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics.
Rudolph passed away on 13 October 1984 at St. John's Hospital North in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois and was buried three days later in Horse Creek Cemetery in Pawnee.
Rudolph P. Schust, 78, of Pawnee died at 4:50pm Saturday at St. John's Hospital North.
Mr. Schust was born in Alabama. A veteran of World War II service in the Army, he was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Pawnee American Legion Post. He was employed as a coal miner at Freeman Crown Mine No. 1 at Farmersville, retiring in 1968.
Surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Barbara Passini of Island Lake, Ill.; Mrs. Mary Sanders of Hilton, NY., and Mrs. Rose Riva of Tovey; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The Rev. George Nelis will officiate and burial will be in Horse Creek Cemetery.
Roarick-Davis Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
This week's connection theme is Saints. Rudy is 18 degrees from Marguerite D'Youville, 28 degrees from Birgitta Birgersdotter, 19 degrees from Marguerite Bourgeois, 18 degrees from Katherine Drexel, 25 degrees from Philippine Duchesne, 27 degrees from Isaac Jogues, 24 degrees from Mary MacKillop, 41 degrees from Zélie Martin, 26 degrees from John Newman, 26 degrees from Lorcán Ua Tuathail, 19 degrees from Elizabeth Ann Seton and 30 degrees from Edith Stein on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
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Categories: German Roots | United States Army, World War II | Bibb County, Alabama | Sangamon County, Illinois | Horse Creek Cemetery, Pawnee, Illinois | Coal Miners