Charles D. Rude

Charles D. Rude, age 80, of Decorah, IA, died Thursday, January 20, 2011 at home in Decorah. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 P.M. Monday, January 24 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, with Prayers read at 6:45 P.M. Monday. A Private Family inurnment will be held at St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery in Decorah in the spring of 2011. Charles David Rude was born September 14, 1930 in Decorah, Iowa, the son of Hans and Clara (Qualley) Rude. He graduated from Decorah High School with the class of 1949. He was a very good athlete in high school. Chuck entered the U.S. Army in 1951 and served in the Korean War as a PFC. He was honorably discharged in 1953. Chuck was united in marriage to Genevieve M. Larson on February 19, 1955 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah, Iowa. This union was blessed with five children: Randy, Joan, Sue, Mary and Jeff. Chuck and Genevieve moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa where they lived for 11 years. Chuck attended Gates Business College, worked at John Deere Company and then at Waterloo Register Company. They moved back to Decorah in April 1966. He became a dispatcher with the Decorah Police Department and then was hired as a policeman. He went to the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnston, Iowa and then came back to Decorah and served as a Police Officer from 1967 until his retirement in 1992. He was a member of St. Benedict Catholic Church and the V.F.W. He was an avid bowler and also liked to fish. He was preceded in death by his parents and several brothers and sisters. Chuck is survived by his wife Genevieve; his five children: Randy Rude (special friend Marcia Glawe) of Decorah, Joan (Donn) Smedsrud of New Hampton, IA, Sue (Mike) Halverson of Decorah, Mary (Tom) Swinburn of Moline, IL, and Jeff Rude (special friend Lauren Klobuchar) of Minneapolis, MN; six grandchildren: Brandon (Jen) Rude, Shannon (Dan) Gebel, Jeremy (Jessie) Smedsrud, Tim (Nicki) Smedsrud, Emily Swinburn and Tommy Swinburn; and eleven great-grandchildren: Sydney, Mitch, Lydia, Alex, Andi Marie, Rachel, Lucas, Mia, Clair, Peyton and Cole.