Rudolph Frederick Gardner

Rudolph Frederick Gardner was born in Chicago on August 27, 1913. He was the first child of Christopher Albert Gardner (around 24 years old at the time) and Rosa Zechmeister Gardner (around 20 years old). On December 19, 1914, his twin sisters Bettina Frieda Gardner and Dorothy Theresa Gardner were born (Dorothy did not survive infancy). Finally, on May 27, 1916 Rudy's youngest sister, Helene Elfriede Gardner, joined the family.

According to the 1920 US Census, the five members of the Gardner family lived in a rented home at 5021 Maplewood Avenue in Chicago on January 8, 1920. The census listed Christopher as an immigrant from Hungary who arrived in the U.S. in 1905 and was naturalized by 1910. The census also noted that Chris was working as a house carpenter. Chris's wife Rosa was also listed as an immigrant from Hungary, also arriving in 1905 and naturalized by 1910. Most of the folks residing on their street were German-speaking. Rudy was 6 years old while his younger sisters were 5 and 3 years old, respectively.

In 1928, teenage Rudy got into some trouble. According to The Times newspaper of Munster, Indiana, on Thursday, July 26, 1928 "Two youthful Chicago runaways, arrested by Gary police yesterday and taken to the detention home last night for safe keeping, made their escape and are again being sought by police authorities. They are John Small, 14, of 6137 Athany Street, and Rudolph Gardner, 13, of 6400 Whipple Street. They were being held awaiting the arrival of their parents."

Evidently, the consequences of Rudy's crime included time served at a juvenile detention facility called the National Training School for Boys, which was located in the Fort Lincoln area of Washington, D.C.

According to the 1930 US Census, Rudy, around 16 years old at the time, was one of at least 500 boys who were inmates at the facility on April 8, 1930.

Worked as a tuck pointer.

birth certificate
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/946181:2545
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ1M-K9B

social security death record
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/21392929:3693 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9Q5-YZ5

1920 US Census
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/67472110:6061

1930 US Census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM2W-HM5
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1106081342...