Rudolph Remembers…(Stories Told about a Southeastern Town in Louisiana)

Rudolph Remembers is a historical children’s book that chronicles the period from 1900-1960 of Paw Paw’s personal experiences in Pearl River from muskrat and mink trapping to fishing with his Native American boyhood friend. He was a great story teller and enjoyed sitting on the front steps of his home to share stories from his past with his granddaughter, Angel.

Rudolph would tell Angel about all the things he remembered from his past, including how Pearl River got its name, alligator hunting, and the town’s experiences with the logging company. When his granddaughter got older, she had her grandfather retell his tales and she transcribed his recollections into a weekly newspaper article entitled Rudolph Remembers for The Daily Slidell Sentry News from 1976-1977. Audio tapes and the newspaper articles are the source for the book.

Rudolph Penton was born in 1900 in Pearl River, a small town in Southeast Louisiana, and spent his time trapping alligators on his pirogue, fishing from his houseboat, and working as a bridge tender on the Pearl River. He died in 1981 and is buried in the town of Pearl River’s cemetery.