Rodems, Richard Stephen

Other Events:

• Occupation: theater manager
• Census: Jan 1920, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, USA
• Military Service: Abt 1943–1946

Notes:

Occupation:

     The following article was published in the Alton Evening Telegraph, of Alton, Illinois, on Saturday, 22 May 1948.

          Rodems Named Theater Manager at Hammond, Ind.

     Richard S. Rodems, manager of the Princess theater, has been named manager of the Paramount Theater at Hammond, Ind., and will leave Alton Tuesday to assume his new position.
     Rodems has been in Alton since 1936, and has been at the Princess except for 2½ years in the army in World War II. In addition to his duties as Princess manager, Rodems has been advertising manager for the Great States Theaters in Alton and Wood River.
     Rodems has been with the Great States organization since 1928, when he became an usher at the Madison theater in Peoria. He rose to service director at the Palace in Peoria, became assistant manager at the Palace, then at the Rialto, next was manager of the Rialto, and then was transferred to the Princess in Alton.
     Mrs. Rodems is the former Miss Elizabeth Jane Fiegenbaum of Edwardsville. They are the parents of two daughters. Mrs. Rodems and the children will join him in Hammond after living quarters have been secured. The family resides at 3520 California.
     Clarence N. Kulp, now assistant manager at the Grand, will become manager of the Princess.


Census:
According to the 1920 U.S. enumeration, Richard S. Roduns [sic], age 8, lived at 311 State Street with his parents, Stephen A. Roduns [sic] (age 40) and Annie A. Roduns (age 31), and three siblings: Mary A. Roduns [sic] (age 10), Alice M. Roduns [sic] (age 3 years, 4 months) and Cathleen M. Roduns [sic] (age 1 year, 2 months). Also living in the home were five male lodgers, ages 34 to 57, single, married, and divorced.

Military Service:
According to his burial records at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Richard entered the U.S. Army on 7 July 1943. He served for about two and a half years, reaching the rank of Technical Sergeant.

Buried:
Richard, who entered service in the U.S. Army on 7 July 1943 and achieved the rank of Technical Sergeant, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery (Section 3-A, Row 3, Site 5).

Died:
The date of death has also been reported as 6 or 17 December.

Richard married Fiegenbaum, Elizabeth Jane 28 Sep 1940, Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Elizabeth (daughter of Fiegenbaum, David William and Springer, Rebecca Charlotte) was born 8 Dec 1915; died 23 Jan 2003, Fairfax, Virginia, USA; was buried 19 Jul 2004, Arlington, Northampton County, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:

     The following announcement was published on Monday, Wednesday, 11 September 1940 in the Alton Evening Telegraph.

          Rodems-Fiegenbaum Nuptials

     Invitations were received this week to the reception which is to follow the marriage of Miss Elizabeth Jane Fiegenbaum, daughter of Mrs. David William Fiegenbaum and the late David William Fiegenbaum of Edwardsville, and Richard S. Rodems, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Rodems of Peoria. Miss Fiegenbaum will become the bride of Mr. Rodems on September 28 at St. Mary's parsonage in Edwardsville. The ceremony, which will be performed at four o'clock in the afternoon in the presence of the members of the immediate families, by the Rev. C. A. Meagher, will be followed by a reception at the bride's home on Fourth street. Alton and Edwardsville friends have been invited to the reception.
     Miss Fiegenbaum has chosen as her matron of honor her sister Mrs. John A. Brockway, of Chicago, who will be remembered as Miss Julia Fiegenbaum. Bridesmaids will be Miss Becky Charlotte Fiegenbaum, another sister, and Miss Judith Baird, Mrs. Donald W. Wilson and Mrs. Vincent J. Hotz, all of Edwardsville.
     William E. May of Peoria will be Mr. Rodems' best man.
     The bride-to-be has been honored at numerous parties during the last six weeks. Parties last week included a dessert bridge and miscellaneous shower given by Mrs. Kenneth Baird and a party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Wheat in Greenville. Mrs. Vincent J. Hotz and Miss Judith Baird are entertaining at a tea and kitchen shower at the Baird home on Saturday.

     The following announcement was published on Monday, 30 September 1940 in the Alton Evening Telegraph, of Alton, Illinois.

          Rodems-Fiegenbaum Wedding

     Miss Elizabeth Jane Fiegenbaum, daughter of Mrs. David William Fiegenbaum and the late David William Fiegenbaum of Edwardsville became the bride of Richard Stephen Rodems of Alton at 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon. The double ring ceremony was performed at St. Mary's parsonage in Edwardsville by Rev. C. A. Meagher in the presence of the members of the immediate families.
     The bride was given in marriage by her uncle, Henry J. Springer, of Edwardsville. She wore a gown of ivory duchese [sic] satin made with a fitted bodice. The sweetheart neckline and bodice front was trimmed with heirloom rosepointe lace. The full-length skirt fell from a fitted hipline into a train and the sleeves came to a point over the hand. The bride's finger-tip length veil was secured to her head by a coronet of duchesse lace which was used on her mother's wedding dress. The bridal bouquet was shower of gardenias and bouvardia.
     Mrs. John Aubrey Brockway of Chicago was matron of honor for her sister, and the bridesmaids were Miss Becky Charlotte Fiegenbaum, sister of the bride, and Miss Judith Baird, Mrs. Donald W. Wilson and Mrs. Vincent J. Hotz, all of Edwardsville.
     Mrs. Brockway wore a floor-length gown of deep turqouise [sic] alpaca fashioned with long sleeves, heart-hraped [sic] neckline and shirred
bodice. She wore a twisted turban matching her gown and carried a bouquet of dark red chrysanthemums. The bridesmaids gowns were fashioned like that of the matron of honor in various fall colors. Miss Fiegenbaum's was of old rose, Miss Baird's wine red, Mrs. Hotz's dull gold and Mrs. Wilson's green. All carried arm bouquets of bronze chrysanthemums and had turbans matching their dresses. The only jewelry worn by the bride's attendants were pairs of gold and pearl bow-knot clips, gifts from the bride.
     Mr. Rodems, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Rodems of Peoria, was attended by William E. May of Peoria as best man.
     Following the ceremony a reception was held at the Fiegenbaum home.
     Fall flowers and lighted candles decorated the home, and the receiving line formed in the baywindow of the living room.
     The bridal table, at which Mrs. W. G. Burroughs and Mrs. C. T. Wheat, aunts of the bride assisted, had lighted tapers flanking the wedding cake.
     After a short wedding trip through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, Mr. and Mrs. Rodems will live at 700 Alby street.
     Mr. Rodems, manager of the Princess Theater, is a graduate of Spaulding Institute in Peoria and attended St. Mary's University at San Antonio, Texas.
     His bride, until recently, was connected with the editorial staff of the Edwardsville Intelligencer.


Engagement:

     The following announcement was published on Monday, 18 December 1939 in the Alton Evening Telegraph, of Alton, Illinois.

          Rolems [sic]-Fiegenbaum Engagement

     The engagement of Miss Elizabeth Fiegenbaum of Edwardsville and Richard Stephen Rodems of Alton was announced Saturday afternoon at a tea at which Miss Fiegenbaum and her sisters, Miss Julia and Miss Becky Charlotte, entertained a number of their friends at their home on Fourth street, Edwardsville. Miss Fiegenbaum is a daughter of Mrs. D. W. Fiegenbaum and of the late David William Fiegenbaum of Edwardsville. She is a member of the editorial staff of the Edwardsville Intelligencer.
     The Fiegenbaum home was decorated appropriately for the Christmas season, with a tree, red candles, and cedar boughs. The tea table in red and silver had a centerpiece of poinsettias with tall tapers in silver candlelabra [sic].
     Assisting the hostesses were Mrs. Vincent J. Hotz, Mrs. Donald Wilson, Miss Judith Baird, Mrs. Kenneth S. Baird, Mrs. Cullen J. Smith, Miss Virginia Simpson and Miss Virginia Harris.
     Out-of-town guests included Mrs. C. T. Wheat and Mrs. C. E. Holles of Greenville, Mrs. George E. Little Jr. of Sunrise Beach, Mo., and Miss Leila Schade of St. Louis.
     Mr. Rodems, who is manager of the Princess theater, has been a resident of Alton for three years. He formerly was manager of the Rialto theater at Peoria, and more recently of the Wildey of Edwardsville.
     A son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Rodems of Peoria, he attended Spalding Institute at Peoria, and St. Mary's University at San Antonio, Tex. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club.

     The following announcement was published in the Alton Evening Telegraph, Alton, Illinois, on Tuesday, 20 August 1940.

          Turkish Shower Saturday

     Mrs. Cullen J. Smith entertained at her home in St. Louis, with a dessert-bridge and a Turkish shower for a blue and rose bathroom, Saturday, honoring Miss Libby Jane Fiegenbaum of Edwardsville. Miss Fiegenbaum, daughter of Mrs. David W. Fiegenbaum, will become the bride of Richard S. Rodems of Alton in September.
     Three tables were occupied by the guests who spent a part of the afternoon playing bridge. Mrs. Vincent J. Hotz and Mrs. Harris Blixen of Edwardsville were awarded prizes.
     Guests were present from Richmond Heights, Mo., St. Louis and Edwardsville.

1. Rodems, Anne Elizabeth
2. Rodems, Mary Jane
3. Rodems, Robert David

Notes:

Birth:
According to the 1920 U.S. census, Stephen's father was born in Germany; his mother's birth place was not known. In the 1910 U.S. census, the mother's birth place was also identified as Germany.

Stephen married [---?---], Annie A.. Annie was born Abt 1888–1889, Illinois, USA; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
At this time, Annie's maiden name is not known. According to the 1920 U.S. census, her father was born in Holland and her mother in Illinois.

Notes:

Census (family):
According to the 1920 U.S. enumeration, the household at 311 State Street consisted of Stephen A. Roduns [sic], head of household, age 40, born in Illinois, married, a clothing salesman; Annie A. Roduns [sic], wife, age 31, born in Illinois; and four children: Mary A. Roduns [sic], age 10, born in Illinois; Richard S. Roduns [sic], age 8, born in Illinois; Alice M. Roduns [sic], age 3 years, 4 months, born in Illinois; and Cathleen M. Roduns [sic], age 1 year, 2 months, born in Illinois. Also living in the home were five male lodgers, ages 34 to 57, single, married, and divorced. They were born in Sweden, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina.