Rev. Rudolph H. Marquardt, 90

Rev. Rudolph H. Marquardt, 90, of Austin, died Sunday, June 23, 2002, at Austin Medical Center.

He was born Jan. 11, 1912, in Leola, S.D.

He attended high school and junior college in St. Paul, graduating from Concordia College in St. Paul and in 1936, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.

While in seminary in St. Louis, Mo., he met Gertrude Lang and they married on April 15, 1939.

He was ordained and installed as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Pierre, S.D. in February 1938. He later was the pastor at congregations in Deadwood, S.D. and in Rapid City, S.D. During that time, he served on the South Dakota District Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod from 1951 to 1957 and served as vice president of the district from 1957 to 1962. In August 1962, he became pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Austin where he served until his retirement on Dec. 31, 1978.

He was a member of the Minnesota South Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church from 1967 to 1973 and vice president of the district from 1973 to 1976. He was an advocate of parochial education and started an elementary school at Zion Lutheran Church in Rapid City, S.D. He also helped the expansion and building of a new school at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Austin.

After his retirement, he served as vacancy pastor for Holy Cross until 1980. He also filled vacancies at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waltham, Our Savior Lutheran Church in Brownsdale and at Peace and St. John's Lutheran Churches in Claremont.

Survivors include wife, Gertrude Marquardt; children, James (Charlotte) Marquardt, Winchester, Va.; Clarence (Jody) Marquardt, Washington; Mark (Rebecca) Marquardt, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Arlis (Steve) Clennon, Austin; 10 grandchildren; brothers, William Marquardt, Sacramento, Calif.; Martin Marquardt, Castro Valley, Calif.; Victor Marquardt, Lodi, Calif.; sisters, Gertrude Maier and Olga Spitzer, Lodi, Calif.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Michael.

Visitation: 4 to 8 p.m., today, June 26, 2002, at the funeral home and Thursday at the church for one hour before the service.

Service: 1 p.m., Thursday, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church with the Rev. Robert Stohlmann officiating.

Interment: Oakwood Cemetery.

Funeral Home: Worlein Funeral Home, Austin.

Memorials: To Holy Cross Lutheran Church Elevator Fund, 300 16th Street NE, Austin MN 55912.