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21st Birthday Celebration for Ernest John Rudolph in 1903
You can hover your mouse over the identified people in this photo to see some quick information about them including their name, then click to go to their individual page if you'd like to see more about them. Although only ten people in this 1903 photo have been identified, the photo ties together several threads of the Rudolph family. Additions and corrections to the story below are very welcomed!
Ernest John Rudolph, who's 21st birthday is being celebrated, does not look very happy. His father John Mason Rudolph had passed away less than three years before. Ernest had been forced to leave Swarthmore College where he had been attending. The family wants Ernest to marry one of the young women in the photo, but Ernest does not wish too. Two and half years later he marries Julia Ann Taylor, whose family from Missouri is not welcome in the East because they had fought vigorously against the Union, never accepting the Missouri Compromise. Perhaps a little too central to the group in the photo is Ernest's younger brother Bert, the doted-upon son. Bert is directly in front of Ernest's mom and right next to their grandmother, Julia Klein Hornberger.
Several of Ernest's aunts, uncles and cousins are present. His father's older brother Samuel Fogg Rudolph is there with his wife Mary Hansell. His first cousin Thomas Rudolph, Samuel's son, is there with his wife Annie Hearst. His mother's sister Mamie Erskine is there with her husband Frank Vache.
There are several family heirlooms in the photo. The floral picture on the wall was painted by Emma Louise Erskine who was an artist. A search for this painting is underway. Emma Louise Erskine and her sister Mary Erskine purchased a pair of matching clocks. Emma's clock can be seen in the photo. The family china can be seen on the table. If you zoom in on the plates, you can see that there are twelve plates in a stack on the table, and there are still twelve plates today 110 years later. Finally, the Rudolph family "R" glasses can also be seen on the table. The clock, plates and glasses are currently held by Robert Charles Rudolph.
There were four successive generations of Rudolphs who were consecutive superintendents or caretakers of the Friends' Southwestern Burial Ground at 236 Powell Lane, Upper Darby, PA. The second and third of those generations are in this photo.
1) The first generation was Thomas Rudolph (1824 - 1887), who became caretaker in 1872 and held the position until his death in 1887. His wife was Sarah Ann Fogg.
2) The second generation was Samuel Fogg Rudolph (1848 - 1933), who became caretaker upon his father's death in 1887. He is the tall balding man standing in front of the door frame with his eyes closed. Samuel probably held the position of caretaker when this photo was taken in 1903. His wife Mary S. Hansell is seated at the table.
3) The third generation to serve as caretaker was Thomas Rudolph (1875 - 1941). Thomas was Ernest John's first cousin. Thomas is in the photo standing just in front of and to the left of his father Samuel. His wife Anna Hearst or Annie is standing to the right of Emma Louise Erskine with her eyes closed. Upon her husband Thomas' death in 1941, Annie served as caretaker for a few years until her son, who had been born while they lived in the caretaker's house at 236 Powell Lane five years before this photo was taken, took over care of the cemetery from her.
4) The fourth Rudolph to serve as consecutive caretaker was Samuel Fogg Rudolph (1898 - 1961). He was married to Ruth Martin Murray, whose brother Jim Murray took over as caretaker upon Samuel's death.
All four of these consecutive Rudolph caretakers, and their four wives including Annie who held the position for a while, are buried in the Friend's Southwestern Burial Ground. You can click to their individual webpages to see photos of their headstones and locations.
This 1903 photo has been restored and is in the photo collection of Robert C Rudolph.
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1882 - 1936