History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918; pg. 531 - 532.

                           Mr. & Mrs. J. H. Rude

JOHN H. RUDE, a veteran of the Civil War, and a respected resident of Neillsville, Wis., where he has lived for many years, was born in Norway, Sept. 26, 1843, son of Oliver Rude and Cornelia Thompson, his wife. Oliver was a building contractor in the province of Tellamarken, Norway, where he was born, reared and married, and where six children were born to him--John, Esther, Thomas, Isabelle, Annie and one that died in infancy. In 1861 Oliver Rude came with his family to the United States, locating at Mt. Prairie, Minn., where he rented an improved farm. He remained in that state about seven years, during which time he was moving about farming and building. He then went to Dakota, leaving his family on the farm, except his wife, who had died two years after arriving in this country. In Dakota he worked at the carpenter's trade, remaining there about five years, after which he traveled from one place to another, finally dying on his farm in Minnesota in 1878. John Rude had only about six weeks schooling in Norway before he accompanied his parents to the United States, and had been associated with his father in industrial pursuits. He was 19 years old when he landed in Minnesota and began working out on farms during the summer and in the woods during the winter, assisting in log-driving in the spring.

On January 2, 1862 he joined Company B, of the Nineteenth Wisconsin Regiment, at Houston, Minn. They were sent to LaCrosse, Wis., where they recruited for about a month and were then mustered in at Racine, Wis. They were sent to Madison, Wis., to guard prisoners and after being thus occupied for six months went to Norfolk, Va., being detailed as guard there and at Portsmouth, Va., for about three months. In the fall they took part in the battle at Suffolk, Va., and remained there during the winter of 1862 - 63. After much moving about, late in the spring of 1863, they were sent to New Bern, N. C., to guard that city, and while there had a skirmish with the enemy. Then they went back to Virginia, to take part in the battle of Drury's Bluff, and the battle of Petersburg, afterwards proceeding to Newport News to recruit, the regiment being by this time considerably reduced in numbers by death, wounds and sickness. They next saw service at Yorktown, then returned to Newport News and took part in the battle of Fair Oaks, Va. Mr. Rude being then attacked by sickness, was sent to the general hospital at Norfolk, where he stayed about a month. He was in Richmond after it was vacated by the rebels, and after that went to Fredericksburg and Warrentown, then to Washington, D. C., where he was mustered out, returning to the farm at Houston, Minn.

There he worked in a store for three years, then in the woods in winter and on the Mississippi drive in spring. The next harvest season he worked on farms in Iowa, and in this manner was occupied generally until 1873, in which year he came to Neillsville, where he found employment as a carpenter and painter. A year later he married, bought a village lot, and erected a frame house, which, after three years was burned. Then he disposed of his lot to Judge James O'Neill, and erected on an adjoining lot the house where he now lives. In 1909, he went to the Dakotas in the employ of the Great Northern, painting and repairing stations along the road. At Minot he was struck by a passenger train, crushing the ribs and bones of his left side, which since time he has lived a retired life.

Mr. Rude is a Grand Army man and a Mason. He adheres to the Lutheran faith. His wife, Martha Peterson, daughter of Peter Strand, a farmer in Norway, died in August, 1904.

Mr. and Mrs. Rude were the parents of five children. Georgia, Josephine, Oscar, John and Mary. Mary was lost under, distressing circumstances, being burned to death when 6 years and 7 months old Josephine is the wife of Peter Johnson, of Neillsville Oscar, a soldier of the Spanish-American War, is dead John, formerly a school teacher and salesman, is in the United States Army, his original service being at Camp Grant Mary is a teacher.