Rudolf E. "Rudi" Florreich

Rudolf Emil Ludwig Florreich, 91, of Auburn, Indiana, died Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Auburn. Born July 29, 1933, in Wiesbaden-Rambach, Germany, he was known to everyone as Rudi. His interests were always in sports, gymnastics (turnen) fussball, handball, track and field, and sking from 1946 following World War II. In 1939, he started grammar school and in 1947 attended trade school for six years as feinmechaniker and uhrmacher (watchmaker). In 1952, he saw a pretty girl and fell in love with Christa Richter. They were married August 1, 1957. On April 23, 1958, they left Bremerhaven, Germany to immigrate to the USA on a ship called, United States. They landed in New York, Manhattan on April 29, 1958. The lived in Bogota, New Jersey, for three months and moved to Englewood, New Jersey in July. Their daughter Sabine was born in 1958. Rudi worked in a window factory in Closter, New Jersey, until 1960. Moving his family to Toledo that year, he started to work as a watchmaker with Peoples Jewelry Company. In 1962 he was transferred to Striplings Department Store in Fort Worth, Texas, which closed a year later. Rudi was given the choice to be transferred to Baltimore, Maryland, Columbus, Ohio, or Fort Wayne, Indiana. He chose Fort Wayne in February, 1963 because he had missed his beloved gymnastics and found it in this city. From 1963 to 1969, he was employed in the jewelry department at Wolf & Dessauer in Fort Wayne. In 1964, they greeted the birth of their son Thomas. In October, 1969, Rudi took over Poors Jewelry Store in Auburn, Indiana, and he moved his family to Auburn in 1971 and there he continued the jewelry store under Florreich Jewelers until 1992 brought the opportunity for Rudi to move the jewelry store to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Upon the death of his beloved wife, Christa, in 2011, Rudi decided to move to Kendallville, Indiana, in 2013. From there he moved to Auburn. Rudi greatly enjoyed running marathons and road races and participating in weekend races in various places. Surviving are his daughter, Sabine (Michael) Penland of Auburn; a son, Tom Florreich of Kendallville; two grandsons, Spencer Penland and Thomas Baugher; and a brother, Egon (Inge) Florreich of Wiesbaden, Germany. Private burial will be at St. Michael's Cemetery in Waterloo. Memorials may be directed to the Ronald McDonald House or the DeKalb County Humane Shelter. Young Family Funeral Home, Kendallville Chapel, 222 South State Street, Kendallville is assisting the family with arrangements. Share memories and condolences at www.youngfamilyfuneralhome.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rudolf "Rudi" E. Florreich, please visit our floral store.