KFWW - Rudolph Fuchs

Rudolph Albano Fuchs was born in Burnet County on November 23, 1905, the third child of Albano and Gini Fuchs. He was a sickly, delicate child, and one of his aunts sat in front of an open fireplace holding him in her arms throughout that first winter. According to Uncle Marco, “Mother said Rudi was small when he was born, she said she could wrap him in a baby blanket and he would fit into a shoe box blanket and all.” As Rudi grew older, the family realized he had exceptional artistic and musical talent. He graduated from Abernathy High School in 1923, and that fall he began his studies at West Texas State Teachers College in Canyon.

Marco humorously recalled Rudi’s first visit home from college at Christmas: “Mother came down with the mumps at Christmastime and Rudi was home from college so he was pressed into the cooking job. And as he was dismantling the Christmas tree the cookies all went into a pot and some water was added, then that was cooked and that was our after-Christmas dinner and anyone that complained was the dishwasher for that meal. This was when I was about 4 years old, so we sat there and enjoyed it with gritted teeth and no complaint as he also added the homemade candles into the pot, and I think a few strings of popcorn also went into that pot.”

Marco also recalled, “Long before that when Caroline was born, she and Rudi became playmates and made mudpies, etc. together and there was a special bond between them that I could see when I was with either of them. That love was good for a lifetime for both of them.”

Rudi graduated from Abernathy High School in 1923. That fall his parents took him to Canyon to begin his studies at West Texas State Teachers College.