Louis Gudder was born in Kovno, Lithuania, later a part of Russia, Dec 17, 1877.   He was a junk dealer in Marion from the early 1900s through the depression years until his death in 1956.  He was also the owner of the block on the square where the Goodall Hotel burned in 1941.  He immigrated to America in 1902 or 1903.  Hard work and judicious buying and selling of scrap metal made him a very prosperous man. 

He was living in Murphysboro when “Mrs. L. Tober and daughters, of Springfield, are guests of the former’s daughter, Mrs. Louis Gudder, of East North St.”  (Murphysboro, IL).  The Daily Free Press, Carbondale, Illinois.  June 27, 1907. 

The Daily Free Press on Friday April 10, 1908 reported that Louis Gudder was listed on the criminal docket for buying and receiving stolen goods.  This is probably a common problem for dealers of scrap metal.  The only other mention of Louis in the Williamson county Court records was as a witness to the stealing of his property.

In 1910 he lived in Murphysboro with his wife Ethel Tober Gudder and their 2 year old daughter, Anna Ruth.  Ethel immigrated to the United States in 1895 from Russia.

In 1914 fire destroyed the junk yard stables.  Hank Gill, a homeless man, was working for the Gudder Bros and living in a room in the stables.  He took gasoline into his room and it exploded the next day when he lit his fire.  The stables were at the rear of Louis Gudder’s home lot at 604 N Monroe St.  Feb 14, 1914, Marion Evening Post.

His WWI registration tells us that he was tall, medium build with grey eyes and black hair.  At the time of the 1920 census he had moved to Marion and lived at 604 N Monroe St.  The junk yard was located across the street at 605.  In 1923 he had some real estate in Carbondale.

In 1930 the value of Louis’ house was $5000.  He owned a radio.  He was still listed as an alien, meaning he had not become a citizen of the United States.   Louis was 53 and Ethel was 43.  Annie was 21.

Notice of his daughter’s engagement appeared in the Decatur paper.  “Isadore Burstein, son of Mr and Mrs. Julius Burstein of Decatur, will be married to Miss Anna Ruth Gudder of Marion in June, according to an announcement made Sunday in a dinner given by the bride to be.  The wedding will be in St Louis.

Miss Gudder is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gudder, Marion, and was graduated from Marion High School, then attended Washington University in St. Louis.  Mr Burstein attended Decatur High School and Western Military Academy in Alton.  He is associated with his father in the clothing business here, and the couple will live in this city after the wedding.”  The Decatur Herald, Decatur, Illinois.  Mar 27, 1930.  Anna Ruth and Isadore divorced in 1948.  They had one child, a son, born Feb 3, 1938.

In the 1940 census Louis worked 70 hours in the previous week and had a yearly income of $3,635. When Louis filled out his registration for WWII in 1942, he was 64 years old. 

David Felts, a columnist for the Southern Illinoisan, devoted part of one of his columns to his memories of Louie  and his junk yard.  “We think of the old days when, hard pressed for spending money, we took a wagonload of junk down to Louis Gudder’s junkyard back of the school grounds.  Louis would look at the load of stuff, prod it with the toe of his shoe and say “Oh, 13 cents.  Put it over there.” So we would unload the junk “over there” and collect the 13 cents.  You could buy a lot of stick candy, jelly beans and chocolate bears in those days for 13 cents.       

Then came the War (to save the world for democracy) and Louie sold his mountains of rusty metal- bed springs and mower wheels, broken stoves and discarded tools, loops of wire and assorted nuts and bolts.  The junkyard was swept clean for the first time in the memory of the folks who lived nearby.

When the Goodall Hotel block on the square was offered for sale in the depression years, you know very well who bought it , and paid cash.” Southern Illinoisan, Feb 28, 1951 

Louie passed away of a heart attack on Friday morning, December 28, 1956 at the Marion Memorial Hospital. His obit mentioned his scrap metal business as well as his ownership of the Nation Oil Company of Marion. Gudder leaves a daughter Mrs. Anna Burstein of Marion, brothers Ben and Allic and sisters, Mrs. Jennie Wright and Mrs. Lena Tanner. Services were held in St. Louis, Mo with burial at B’nai Amoona Cemetery in St. Louis.

Louis’ daughter and grandson were featured in an article in the local paper at the time of Louis’ funeral.  “Two Marion residents suffered slight injuries in the Chase Hotel fire in St. Louis Sunday.  Mrs. Anna Burnstein, (sic) 49, Marion, suffered from smoke inhalation and her son Stuart, 18, suffered asthma aggravated by smoke inhalation.  The Burnsteins were in St. Louis for the funeral of her father, Louis Gudder, Marion oil dealer and junk yard operator, who died Friday.  The services were Sunday afternoon.” Southern Illinoisan,  Carbondale, Illinois.  Dec 31, 1956. 

A follow up article in the Southern Illinois paper reported in May, 1957 that Louie Gudder left an estate of $145,955.66 including real estate holding including four houses, an apartment building, a service station and a garage, cash, stocks & bonds. Except for a trust fund to his grandson, Stuart Burstein, he left the estate to his daughter, Anna Ruth Burstein.

(Sources: Daily Free Press, Marion Evening Post, Marion Daily Republican, Southern Illinoisan & Federal Census records by Colleen Norman and Sam Lattuca)