Joseph RUFF/ROOF 1838 Ohio - 1913 Kansas

Origin

[BIRTH CERT?]

Marriage - Anna Marie Coble

Joseph and Anna were married January 1, 1860 in Circleville, Ohio. [MARRIAGE CERT?] Anna was born April 17, 1839 in Logan, Hocking county, Ohio. Nothing else is known about her...yet. [BIRTH CERT?] Anna / Joseph had 7 children, 2 boys and 1 girl dying in infancy.

Children - Anna & Joseph

Wilhelmina	b. 1870 OH d. 1971 WA	Mrs. Oliver Jones of Protection (father's obit. 1913)
John Andrew 1	b. 1861 OH	of St. Louis, MS
William Joseph	b. 1866 OH	of Maize, KS or St. Louis. m. Grace Eberly Joseph lived with William when he died. maybe William and Grace settled on Cedar Lawn and not Joseph and Anna. I will check that out.  --Bruce L. Lee
Margaret		of Protection, KS m. Jimmy M. Alexander

Tracing Their Steps

In 1858, at the age of 19, Anna Marie Coble made her home with friends in Circleville, Ohio.

Joseph was raised in the Lutheran Church and confirmed in boyhood. But in early manhood, he was converted in the United Brethern Church in Circleville.

In 1861, now married, Anna and Joseph moved to Stoutsville, Ohio where they would live for around 23 years. Fairfield county?
Stoutsville Home 1969	Stoutsville Home 1884

On October 14, 1884, the family left Ohio for Kansas, first settling in Kiowa County for five years then removed to Sedgwick county, where Joseph resided until he died.
Property	Home
"Cedar Lawn Farm": Home of Joseph and Anna Ruff near Maize, Kansas.

Lulu Annetta Roof holding toddler Robert Eugene Eberly. Standing at right : Ralph Clayton Eberly, Lulu's son and Robert's dad. John Andrew Roof, Lulu's father, is standing on the left holding a pipe.  Taken in 1936 on the east side of the one-car garage at Glade and Lulu Eberly's farm at 13th and the Cowskin Creek which at that time was considered near Maize, Sedgwick county, Kansas.  Farm is now nside Wichita city limits.

	Taken on the front porch of the house on Cedar Lawn Farm on 21st street before 1950. Will Ruff & Grace Eberly Grace's brother Glade Eberly, married Lulu Roof, Will's Ruff's niece.
	1920s--Madeline's cousin, Don Roof (Will's son) clowns around, pretending to balance Madeline's dad (Glade Eberly) and dog on one side, and Will Roof on the other.

Madeline is the daughter of  Glade and Lulu (Roof) Eberly. Her married name is Presnal and we called her Aunt Toots.  Will Ruff always spelled his name Roof. This is the same man sitting with Grace on the front porch above.
	The jackrabbit hunt (l-r): Will Mayer, a friend of Madeline's uncle: Uncle Will Ruff, sitting: her father, Glade Eberly, sitting;and Grampa Samuel Eberly.

DEATH ENDS FIGHT FOR ESTATE Well-known clerk at Tapps store dies at son's home northwest of city. Joseph Ruff, age 74, died at the home of his son, W. G. Roof, ten miles northwest of Wichita Wednesday morning of Brights Disease. He has been ill over 2 years. Mr. Ruff came to Sedgwick County in 1884 from Fairfield Co., Ohio. Until two years ago, he was employed as a clerk in Tapps grocery store on North Main Street. Mr. Ruff was a descendant of an old family in Germany and he retained the german spelling of his name in order not to lessen the validity of his claim to whatever estates might have been left him in Germany. He refused to change the spelling of Roof. Before he moved to Kansas, he heard that there was an estate left him in Germany but was never able to get it. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Oliver Jones of Protection and Mrs. J. M. Alexander of Goddard. Two sons, W. J. Roof and John Roof of St. Louis. One sister in Wichita. one brother and two half-sisters in Ohio and one half-brother, John G. Walker of Wichita. Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon from the sons home at 2:00 P.M. Interments will be made in Jamesburg Cemetery.

Passings

[DEATH CERTS?]	Anna died on May 19, 1898 near Maize at 59 years old . Joseph died on February 4, 1913, at the age of 74, at the home of his son, W. G. [Wm. Joseph & Grace?] Roof, ten miles northwest of Wichita of Brights Disease. He had been ill for over 2 years.
He and Anna are buried at Jamesburg Cemetery near Maize, Sedgwick County, Kansas.
Anna was an earnest member of the United Brethern Church at Maize, and bore her afflictions with patience and christian fortitude. Death was robbed of its victory by her expression of willingness and resignation, calmly awaiting the call of the Lord to go with Him to her home "not made with hand, eternal in the heavens." She leaves a sorrowing husband, children, grandchildren and a host of friends who morn her loss. Of Joseph, it may be truly said he believed God: for his faith was always child-like and unwavering. He suffered very much during his last years but he spoke continually of the time when he should be at home with God in the peace and painlessness of heaven. All of his life long he had studied about heaven and talked of its blessing so his funeral seemed not a time of mourning but one of victory. At the hour of his entrance into "rest that remaineth to the people of God" he made religion the theme of his conversation and the unit of his life.

Sources