Bessie Leone Swayze^[1]

1888 - 1955  (66 years)

• Name	Bessie Leone Swayze  [2]
  Birth	21 Oct 1888	Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  Gender	Female
  Residence	Nov 1908	Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [8]
  Census	1910	Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [4]
  Residence	Sep 1918	Northport, Morrill County, Nebraska, USA   [9]
  Census	1920	Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [5]
  Census	1930	McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA   [7]
  	206 South 6th
  Residence	1935	McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA   [6]
  	206 South 6th
  Census	1940	McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA   [6]
  	206 South 6th
  Residence	Jan 1943	McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA   [10]
  Residence	Mar 1950	McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA   [11]
  Education	Holbrook High School (1905, Class Valedictorian)  [3]
  Research Notes	Bessie’s marriage record to Harry Rude gives her maiden name as Fritz (and fathers name as Fred Fritz), whereas other records give her maiden name as Swayze. Her obituary lists multiple half-siblings, so it’s possible that Fred Fritz was her mother’s first husband and she unofficially took the name Swayze when her mother remarried. Obituary indicates she had 9 children, six still living at that time. Survived by three half-sisters and a half-brother. Marriage record gives birthplace as Frontier County, Nebraska.  [3, 8]
  Death	20 May 1955	Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [3]
  	At her home
  Burial	25 May 1955	Holbrook Cemetery, Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [3]
  Person ID	I6727	Mohr-Whalen
  Last Modified	18 Oct 2025

  
  

  Father	George H. Swayze           b. Missouri, USA           d. Bef Mar 1950
  Mother	Sara Deborah Davidson           b. Missouri, USA
  Family ID	F9812	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	_____ Fritz
  Family ID	F9811	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 May 2019

  
  

  Family 2	Harry Edgar Rude           b. 14 May 1882, Gosper County, Nebraska, USA           d. 13 Apr 1954, Cambridge, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	18 Nov 1908	Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA   [4, 8, 12, 13]
  Children	> 1. Lois L. Rude           b. 23 Sep 1909, Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA           d. 17 May 1997 (Age 87 years) + 2. Robert Hugh Rude           b. Abt 1915, Nebraska, USA           d. 25 Mar 1950, Gothenburg, Dawson County, Nebraska, USA (Age 35 years) + 3. Harry E. Rude, Jr.           b. 1 Feb 1916, Bushnell, Kimball County, Nebraska, USA           d. Jan 1943, Ogallala, Keith County, Nebraska, USA (Age 26 years) > 4. Berdena Maxine Rude           b. 18 Sep 1917, Bushnell, Kimball County, Nebraska, USA           d. 18 Feb 2001 (Age 83 years) > 5. Margaret Debora Rude           b. 10 Feb 1919, Northport, Morrill County, Nebraska, USA           d. 26 Apr 2000 (Age 81 years) > 6. Rosemary Rude           b. 21 Jun 1924, Nebraska, USA           d. 24 Mar 1985, Riverside County, California, USA (Age 60 years)   7. R.R. Rude   8. Kenneth Eugene Rude           b. 26 Feb 1927, McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA           d. Oct 1988 (Age 61 years)
  Family ID	F2272	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	18 Oct 2025

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 21 Oct 1888 - Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA Residence - Nov 1908 - Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA Marriage - 18 Nov 1908 - Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA Census - 1910 - Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA Residence - Sep 1918 - Northport, Morrill County, Nebraska, USA Census - 1920 - Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA Census - 1930 - McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA Residence - 1935 - McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA Census - 1940 - McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA Residence - Jan 1943 - McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA Residence - Mar 1950 - McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA Death - 20 May 1955 - Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA Burial - 25 May 1955 - Holbrook Cemetery, Holbrook, Furnas County, Nebraska, USA
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S1829] Thomas E. Corey, Furnas County Nebraska Marriage Index 1876-1935. [S5] Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. [S7784] Obituary of Bessie Leone Rude. [S1965] 1910 US Census - Household of Harry E. Rude. [S3437] 1920 US Census - Household of Harry E. Rude. [S4953] 1940 US Census - Household of Harry E. Rude. [S4954] 1930 US Census - Household of Harry E. Rude. [S8302] Marriage Record of Harry E. Rude and Bessie L. Fritz. [S3474] FamilySearch.org (National Archives & Records Administration), WWI Draft Registration Card of Harry Edgar Rude. [S7797] Obituary of Harry Rude, Jr. (“Former Holbrook Resident Burned to Death”). [S7785] Obituary of Robert Hugh Rude. [S1829] Thomas E. Corey, Furnas County Nebraska Marriage Index 1876-1935, p 143. [S7786] Obituary of Harry Edgar Rude.