Alexander Rusch (1896 - 1957)

Born 19 Mar 1896 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Ancestors

Husband of Bertha (Fischer) Rusch — married 10 Sep 1916 in Windsor, Larimer, Colorado, United States

Descendants

Died 1 Mar 1957 at age 60 in Denver, Colorado, United States

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Biography

Alex Rusch was a Volga German.

Alex Rusch has German Roots.

According to a descendant of his paternal aunt Elisabeth Rusch Albrandt, his parents Heinrich Rusch and Elizabeth Brester had no biological children. Alexander was actually listed in the 1897 Grimm census as the son of Jakob Rusch, brother of Heinrich, and his wife Maria. By the time Alexander immigrated to the United States, he was attached to his uncle Heinrich and his wife Elisabeth and identified as their child. It's not clear if his mother Maria passed away, or if he was adopted by his aunt and uncle for other reasons. By 1911, the couple had also adopted daughter Charlotte. It is not known yet if she was somehow related to the Rusch family.

• Biological Father: Jakob Rusch
• Biological Mother: Maria Unknown Rusch

1897 Grimm Census ^[1]

Family # 124

Head of the Household Konrad Rusch, age 60

Wife Katharina Rusch, age 59 [possible second wife]

Child #1 Heinrich Rusch, age 34

Wife of Child #1 Elisabeth Rusch, age 34

Child #2 Alexander Rusch age 28, living in Tsaritsyn

Wife of Child #2 Minna Rusch, age 25, living in Tsaritsyn

Child #3 Theodor Rusch, age 14

Child #4 Elisabeth Rusch, age 18, living in Tsaritsyn

Child #5 Unnamed Son, deceased [possibly Jakob]

Wife of Child #5 Maria Rusch, age 26, widow

Grandchild #1 Alexander Rusch, age 10 months

Texas Passenger List ^[2]

Name: Henrich Rusch

Age on Arrival: 50

Birth Date: 1862

Birthplace: Karamisch saratow, Russia, Russia

Gender: Male

Race: German

Port of Departure: Bremen, Germany

Arrival Date: 24 May 1912

Port of Arrival: Galveston, Texas, USA

Vessel: Breslau

Friend's Name: Peter Ehrlich

Relative in Homeland: Brother Theod. Rusch

Last Residence:: Russia

Family Traveling Together:

Henrich Rusch, age 50

Elisabeth Rusch, age 49

Alexander Rusch, age 16

Charlotte Rusch, age 8

Marriage Record ^[3]

Name: Alec Rush [sic]

Event Type: Marriage

Event Date: 10 Sep 1916

Event Place: Windsor, Larimer, Colorado, United States

Age: 21

Birth Year (Estimated): 1895

Spouse's Name: Bertha Fischer

Spouse's Age: 18

Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1898

1917-1918 World War I Draft Registration Cards ^[4]

Name: Alex Rush [sic]

Race: Caucasian (White)

Marital status: Married

Birth Date: 19 Mar 1896

Birth Place: Russia

Residence Place: Weld, Colorado, USA

1930 United States Federal Census ^[5]

Name: Henry Rush

Event Type: Census

Event Date: 1930

Event Place: Windsor, Weld, Colorado, United States

Gender: Male

Age: 68

Marital Status: Widowed

Race: White

Race (Original): White

Relationship to Head of Household: Head

Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head

Birth Year (Estimated): 1862

Birthplace: Russia

Immigration Year: 1912

Father's Birthplace: Russia

Mother's Birthplace: Russia

Sheet Letter: A

Sheet Number: 13

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Henry Rush Head M 68 Russia

Alexander Rush Son M 34 Russia

Freda Rush Daughter F 13 Colorado

Henry Rush Son M 11 Colorado

Alexander Rush Son M 9 Colorado

Emma Rush Daughter F 7 Colorado

Helen Rush Daughter F 4 Colorado

Bertha Rush Daughter-in-law F 31 Russia

1940 United States Federal Census ^[6]

Name: Henry Rush [Henry Rusch]

Age: 78

Estimated birth year: abt 1862

Gender: Male

Race: White

Birthplace: Colorado

Marital status: Widowed

Relation to Head of House: Father

Home in 1940: Windsor, Weld, Colorado

Map of Home in 1940: View Map

Inferred Residence in 1935: Windsor, Weld, Colorado

Residence in 1935: Same House

Resident on farm in 1935: No

Sheet Number: 2B

Attended School or College: No

Highest Grade Completed: None

Income: 0

Income Other Sources: Yes

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members: Name Age

Alec Rusch 44

Bertha Rusch 41

Henry Rusch 21

Alec Rusch 19

Emma Rusch 17

Helen Rusch 15

Delores Rush 9

Florence Rush 6

Henry Rush 78

1942 World War II Draft Registration ^[7]

Name: Alex Rusch

Event Type: Draft Registration

Event Place: Brighton, Adams, Colorado, United States

Age: 46

Race: White

Complexion: Light

Employer: A Getz

Birth Date: 19 Mar 1896

Birthplace: , Russia

Relative's Name: Bertha Rusch

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Blonde

Height: 5 7

Weight: 140

AHSGR Obituary ^[8]

Name: Alex Rusch

Event Type: Obituary

Event Date: 1 Mar 1957

Event Year: 1957

Event Place: United States

Event Place (Original): Denver, Colorado

Gender: Male

Age: 61

Relationship to Deceased: Deceased

Birth Date: 19 Mar 1895

Birthplace: Russia

Death Date: 1 Mar 1957

Death Place: Denver, Colorado

Volume Note: Minister's Record

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 ^[9]

Name: Alex Rusch

Gender: Male

Race: White

Birth Date: 19 Mar 1896

Birth Place: Grem [sic], Soviet Union should be Grimm

Father: Henry Rusch

Mother: Elizabeth Prester [sic] should be Brester

SSN: 523144530

Notes: 13 Jan 1984: Name listed as ALEX RUSCH

Research Notes

The passenger manifest says Alexander Rusch had an uncle named Theodor Rusch. That was a fairly unusual name for a Volga German male. In fact, it's the first instance of the name Theodore that I've seen, although I'm sure it was likely more common in the late 19th and early 20th century. I see only one documented instance of a man named Heinrich Rusch with a wife named Elisabeth and a brother named Theodor in the 1897 Grimm census: ^[10]

Family #124

Name: Heinrich Rusch, age 34

Father: Konrad Rusch, age 60

Mother: Katharina Rusch, age 59

Wife: Elisabeth, age 34

Brother: Theodor, age 14

The ages of his parents are also a match with their known ages in the United States.

Sources

1. ↑ 1897 Grimm (Lesnoi Karamysh), Russia census List, translated by Richard Rye, compiled and edited by John Groh and Henry Schmick, published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 2017, Lincoln, Nebraska; page
2. ↑ The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Galveston, Texas, 1896-1951; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004. Heinrich Rusch, age 50, born in Karamisch, Saratov, Russia; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 08 July 2023.
3. ↑ "Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KNQ2-DDS : 10 December 2017), Alec Rush and Bertha Fischer, 10 Sep 1916, Windsor, Larimer, Colorado, United States; citing no. 5117, State Archives, Denver; FHL microfilm 1,690,129.
4. ↑ United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Alex Rusch, born 19 March 1896 in Russia, Registration State: Colorado; Registration County: Weld; Roll: 1561805; Draft Board: 2; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 08 July 2023.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7WZ-R8K : accessed 17 January 2020), Bertha Rush in household of Henry Rush, Windsor, Weld, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 7, sheet 13A, line 33, family 239, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 251; FHL microfilm 2,339,986.
6. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census, Henry Rusch, age 78, born in Russia, Year: 1940; Census Place: Windsor, Weld, Colorado; Roll: m-t0627-00481; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 62-6; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 08 July 2023.
7. ↑ "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKC4-CHDB : 7 November 2017), Bertha Rusch in entry for Alex Rusch, ; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
8. ↑ "United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:736X-WKMM : 2 September 2019), Alex Rusch and Alex Rusch and Bertha Rusch and Bertha Rusch, ; citing Obituary, in ""; American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska.
9. ↑ Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007. Alex Rusch, born 19 March 1896 in Grimm, Russia; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 08 July 2023.
10. ↑ 1897 Grimm (Lesnoi Karamysh), Russia census List, translated by Richard Rye, compiled and edited by John Groh and Henry Schmick, published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 2017, Lincoln, Nebraska; page 202, family #124, Konrad Rusch family.