Joseph Rudell

Joseph Francis (Joe) Rudell Joe Rudell 86, of Colby, KS died September 18, 2015 at Citizens Medical Center in Colby, KS He was born May 16, 1929, at Wallace, KS. Son of Matthew and Mary (Pfeifer) Rudell. He grew up in Wallace and Russell Springs, KS area and Levant, KS. Joe graduated from Oakley High School. He married Vivian Irene Stupka on October 12, 1948 at Colby Sacred Heart Catholic Church in a double wedding with Vivian's sister Berniece Stupka and Homer Metzler. Vivian and Joe lived in Colby, Levant and Goodland and later moved to Brawley, California in 1957. Joe started his career with a John Deere branch in 1948 where he worked for four years. Then he served two years in the Army. When he got out, Kansas was being ravaged by dirt storms which seriously depressed the local economy. He tried running a service station in Goodland for three years, and finally moved to Imperial Valley in Southern California where he had relatives. Joe started his career in 1957, where he was active in maintenance and repair of farm and construction machinery in Imperial Valley California, and a skilled machinery serviceman since 1948. When he got a job with Faure Tractor, the Caterpillar and John Deere dealer for the area. A few years later, Faure sold the CAT dealership to Braden Machinery and the Deere dealership to another company. Joe went with the Deere dealership. Eventually, Braden bought the Deere dealership and made Joe, Service Manager for their CAT Shop. When Braden built a new building, in Imperial, Joe moved over to run the service department there. In 1983, he became an Empire employee when Braden sold both dealerships to EMPIRE. Joe retired with a reputation for knowing just about everything there is to know about John Deere machines. He retired in 1994 and moved back to Colby. Joe served in the Army in France and Germany from 1952-1954. He was a active member of the Colby VFW and Colby American Legion, and an active member of the Brawley VFW and American Legion and helped with many dinners and fish fry's at the local club. Joe enjoyed gardening, going to consignment sales, yard sales and antique stores. He enjoyed visiting with family and friends and family dinners. And “tinkering” with anything mechanical to bring them back to working order. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Vivian, Sisters: Jiliana Bruggenman, Waunita Quenzer, Ermalina Vernon, Brothers: John and Clarence Rudell. Brother-in-laws, L.E. (Sonny) Stupka, Ed Stupka, Charles (Chuck) Stupka, Jack Luker, and Jim Tubbs, Sister-in-laws: Mildred Stupka Petty, Berniece Stupka Luker. Survivors include: Sister: Henrietta Homm of Garden City, KS and Brother: Francis and wife Pam Rudell, of Oakley, KS and Bettie Hamill his companion of 18 years. Brother-in-law, Bud and wife Peggy Stupka of Colby, Francis Petty of Missouri, Sister-in-law Hedy Tubbs of Colby, Ramona Stupka of Colby and nieces and nephews. Memorial Service will be in Colby, at Kersenbrock Funeral Home, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, at 11:00a.m. Inurnment will be at the Colby Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery.