Gordon & Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph Collection
Scope and Contents
The Gordon and Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph Collection contains materials from their life, and from that of Sally’s parents, Rev. John and Lydia (sayler) Hochstatter. The collection consistis primarily of correspondence including 655 postcards, envelopes, and some letters. Also included are family history documents, religious certificates and documents, and dolls and doll furniture. The collection has been arranged into 10 series: Correspondence, Postcard & Card, Photograph, Recipe Book, Religious Documents, Family History & Documents, Book, Certificate, Scrapbook, 3-D.
The Correspondence Series contains envelopes and letters sent or received by various family members, spanning from 1913-1994. The bulk of the envelopes were from 1920-1960, the bulk of the letters were from 1920-1940.
The Postcard and Card Series contains 655 postcards, 30 Valentine’s, and 71 Christmas or other holiday cards. The postcards are to various Rudolph, Sayler, and Hochstatter family members with the bulk being received by Lydia (Sayler) Hochstatter and John Hochstatter. The postcards range in date from 1905-1956. Most of the Valentines and other cards were received by the Hochstatter family.
The Photograph Series contains negatives and photographs of Rudolph, Sayler, and Hochstatter family members. Included is a small photograph album of the Sayler Family.
The Recipe Book Series contains recipes from five cookbooks, owned by Lydia Sayler. The Chicago Training School Recipes Book was created while Lydia was in Chicago, beginning in 1916. Four of the books are notebooks into which the recipes have been handwritten or cut and pasted.
The Religious Documents Series contains various items from Rev. John Hochstatter’s time as a pastor and other family religious documents. Included are John’s dissertation, Ruth Hochstatter’s Confirmation book, a Pocket Prayer book, and various church program booklets.
The Family History & Documents Series contains two publications on the family and information on where they settled. Lydia Hochstatter’s Autograph book contains vital records for family members. Also included are newspaper clippings with stories about family members, family record pages removed from a Bible, Lydia’s 1907 school notebook, and pattern making lessons from the White Sewing Machine Company.
The Book Series contains three books. The Holy Bible, ABC, Buchstabir und Lesebuch, zum Gebrauch für deutsche Schulen in den Vereinigten Staaten by Johann Conrad Reissner and Die Abendmahlslehre der Reformirten Kirche by Dr. J. G. Zahner.
The Certificate Series contains two diplomas, one for John Hochstatter from Redfield College and one for Lydia Sayler Hochstatter from the Congregational Training School for Women. There are four filled in Baptismal Certificates one each for Calvin Brunmeier, Albert Jacob Brunmeier, Arthur H. Kitsman, and Doris Maxine Lebsack. There are also two blank baptismal certificates that Rev. John Hochstatter would have used. There is one Confirmation Certificate from Salome Ruth Hochstatter and one blank wedding certificate.
The Scrapbook Series contains four scrapbooks. The contents include mostly ephemera collected by Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph.
The 3-D Series contains three dolls, two parasols, a doll quilt, a wedding hair wreath, baby cap, paperweight, rosary, notarial seals, a few scraps of fabric, a doll chest, doll cradle, and a doll carriage.
The black, mammy cloth doll is named Mathilda. She was made by Lillie Hochstatter before 1920 at Java, SD, used by niece Ruthie “Sally” Hochstatter in Jordan, MT and Yakima, WA as a child. The rag doll was accompanied by a nota, “My own Dollie May, Homestead Jordan Montana 1920?, Friend of Mathilda (Black), Lillie Hochstatter, Valuable 1917, shoe button eyes”.
The wedding hair wreath was worn by Lydia Sayler for her wedding to John Hochstatter, 1913.
Both the doll chest and cradle were made in public school “manual training” of wood craft skills by an unnamed youth from John Hochstatter’s church, “26 December 1926 at Christmas program/gift exchange” (as an inside inscription of trinket box’s lid). These two gifts were given to young Angela Sayler from Mrs. Velinsky in 1926; Angela also was gifted a “plate”. Angela comments from written note: “I was extremely blessed to have loved these items for 1930.” The doll carriage is a 1890s type with a wooden construction on a metal base frame and wheels.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1910 - 1950
Access
Copyright
Biography
Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph was the daughter of Rev. John A. and Lydia (Sayler) Hochstatter. Sally died on February 5, 2007; Gordon died on November 8, 2009.
The following was taken from a family history that can be found in folder 2/29: “John A. Hochstatter, (born Dec. 19, 1889 in Java, SD; first of 9), the oldest child of Johannes and Katherine (Biel) Hochstatter, was one of the first students to receive a high school education. He attended Redfield High School, traveling by train and returning home on weekends. He enrolled in Redfield College as a business student, but graduated in 1912 with expectations of studying for the Christian ministry. In the fall of 1912, he entered Yankton College to begin work on a master’s degree, which was granted in the summer of 1913.
Rev. Hochstatter worked his way through college as a postal employee and later, as a student minister. While attending Yankton College he was licensed by the SD Congregational Conference, enabling him to serve as a student pastor in the Congregational Church in Lesterville.
While serving in this capacity, he met Lydia Sayler, who was superintendent of the church Sunday school, and the church organist. They were united in marriage in Lesterville on Aug. 25, 1913.
He then entered Chicago Theological Seminary and received his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1916. During this time, Mrs. Hochstatter attended the Congregational Training School for Women. The Reverend Hochstatter carried a heavy academic schedule and also served as a student minister, and a summer vacation minister. Prompted by an enthusiastic desire to be adequately trained, he studied Greek, Latin, Hebrew, German, and English in addition to his theological courses. He graduated with honors and could claim Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Bachelor of Divinity degrees.
Rev. Hochstatter served German Congregational churches in Plevna and Jordan, MT until 1919. Their two children, Jonathan H. and Salome (Sally) Ruth Hochstatter were born in 1917 and 1920 in Garfield County, MT. The couple homesteaded 160 acres eight miles east of Jordan and erected a sod house. It was in this house that Salome Ruth was born, attended by a three-year-old brother, while the fa¬ther rode a horse to Jordan for a doctor.
The family moved from Jordan, MT to Hilda, Alberta, Canada in 1921, where Rev. Hochstatter served as a public school principal and as a minister. From 1925 to 1930 he was the pastor of churches in Wapato and Qunicy, WA. His last official charge was in Loveland, CO.
In 1942 he moved to Boulder, CO, where he was an active member of the First Congregational Church and served several years as secretary of the Boulder Workshop. He was employed in Boulder by the Rocky Mountain News and rented out rooms in their large home.
Rev. Hochstatter died on Jan. 12, 1965 and his widow died on Sept. 27, 1968. Both are buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Boulder, CO.
Their son, Jonathan, attended Yankton College in SD and graduated with a theology degree and became a minister serving churches in OH and CA. He was united in marriage, while attending Yankton College, to Ava Ruth Schmidt of Tripp. They have three sons - Tim Blackwood (Madeline), San Jose, CA; Todd Hochstatter, San Carlos, CA; and Ted Hilton (Hisako), San Diego, CA. His widow resides in San Carlos, CA.
Their daughter, Sally (Salome), married Second Lieutenant R. Gordon Rudolph on May 2, 1943. From Sept. 1944 to May 1946 she lived with her parents until Capt. Rudolph returned from duty with the 103rd Infantry Division in the Third and Seventh Armies in Europe. They have three children: Mrs. A. F. (Judith) Scully, Rapid City; Grant K. (Victoria), Mill Valley, CA; and Mrs. Mark C. (Nancy) Johnson, Moorhead, MN. Great-grandchildren are: David, Mark, and Daniel Scully; Blake and Selena Rudolph; Kayla and Katrina Johnson; Abram Blackwood and Alicia Hilton.”
Lydia (Sayler) Hochstatter, born in 1892, oldest of five, was the daughter of Ludwig and Amelia (Miller) Sayler, founder of Lesterville, Yankton County, South Dakota. They were married at Lesterville, SD in 1886. Lydia Sayler’s mother, Amelia (Miller) Sayler, was the granddaughter of Ludwig Bette, of Kelley’s Island in Lake Erie, north of Sandusky, Ohio. Ludwig Bette (Louis/Lewis Beatty) immigrated to the US in 1849 from Johannestal, Beresan District, Cherson Province (near Odessa), South Russia. Bette was one of the first German-Russian immigrants to settle in South Dakota and can be partially credited with the subsequent German-Russian colonization of the area.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (Box 1 and 2 are Banker's Boxes, Box 3 is a half box.)
4.5 Linear Feet (Boxes 4-6 are oversized, flat boxes. )
Language of Materials
English
German
Summary
Arrangement
Provenance
Separated Materials
Objects
- 2007.08.04.01 - Doll Chest
- Doll’s miniature dresser and chest. Doll’s dresser and chest of cherry wood, painted pale mustard yellow with red under coat. Includes two hinged handkerchief boxes on top of three drawer chest. Size: 15 ¼ inches wide, by 10 ¼ inches high by 8 ½ inches deep of dresser chest; with two trinket boxes of 4 ¾ inches wide by 6 inches deep and 2 ¼ inches high.
- 2007.08.04.02 - Doll Cradle
- Wooden doll cradle of pine/basswood 19” long x 9” wide. Painted mustard shade or slightly green shade of yellow, with mattress. Cradle has ¾” thick end pieces with simple scroll decoration at head and foot boards. Feet 11” across with scroll on ending each foot. ¼” bottom & sides.
- 2007.08.07 - Doll Carriage
- Doll carriage, 1892 (1890s type). Plank base stamped with interlacing cane pattern, varnished brown with cane scroll work. Wooden upper frame has slightly curved handle. Has metal wheels and base frame. Has red velvet/brocade seat cushion.
Property Rights
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Gordon & Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph Collection
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection Repository
NDSU Dept 2080
PO Box 6050
Fargo ND 58108-6050 United States
(701) 231-6596
ndsu.grhc@ndsu.edu