HOME

BUCKS INDEX

JOHN ZIEGLER RUFE

            John Ziegler RUFE.  One of the self-made men of Bucks county is John Ziegler RUFE, of Quakertown.  Mr. RUFE is a son of John RUFE, who was born about 1797, and in early life followed the carpenter’s trade.  He subsequently purchased a farm and devoted his remaining years to agricultural pursuits.  He married Mary Magdaline ZIEGLER, who was born February 9, 1802, and their children were: 1. Harriet, who married Aaron, son of Henry WORMAN, and they were the parents of three sons and three daughters. 2. Catharine, who married (first) Dr. William WILDERMUTH, of Pottstown, and after his death became the wife of Isaac WOLFINGER, of Tinicum township. 3. Samuel, married Lydia ALLEN. 4. Sarah, became the wife of Reed C. WEAVER, of Ottsville, and after his death married Addison HESS, of Springtown.  5. Lucy Ann, married Francis MAURER.  6. Aaron, married Susan CALFE, of Tinicum, and has four sons-Willis R. deceased, Clinton, John, Albert, and one daughter, Ida, who married William NASH.  7. Elizabeth, who married Henry BLOOM, of New Jersey.  8. John Ziegler, mentioned at length, hereinafter.  9. Matilda, who is the wife of Wilson LEAR, a farmer of Erwinna.  10. Emma Jane, who married Thomas C. HARPEL, the proprietor of a hotel at Ottsville. 11. Adaline, who became the wife of James CARVER, of Tinicum Township, Mrs. RUFE, the exemplary mother of this large family, died October 6, 1876.  The death of her husband occurred several years earlier.

            John Ziegler RUFE, son of John and Mary Magdaline (ZIEGLER) RUFE, was born February 19, 1835, on the homestead in Tinicum township, now occupied by his brother Aaron.  He attended until his sixteenth year a public school which had been established as the result of a bill introduced in congress by Thaddeus STEVENS.  He then entered the general store conducted by Charles SCHEETZ, of Ottsville, with whom he remained four years.  After serving several years with James WILLIAMS, at Erwinna, Tinicum township, he spent one year in Sunbury, another in Erwinna, and then returned to Ottsville.  In the autumn of 1866 he again went to Erwinna and opened a general store, which he conducted successfully for sixteen years.  In 1882 he was forced by failing health to dispose of the business and to retire for recuperation to the village of Head Quarter. His health being restored, he moved to Richland Centre, where he opened a general merchandise store of which he was the active head until 1891, when he retired and was succeeded by Claude Treichler RUFE, his son, and Oswin GUSSMAN, his son-in-law.  Since that time the store has been much enlarged.  Mr. RUFE, has been honored by his fellow-citizens with the office of inspector of election, a position which he still holds.  He has served on local committees and has acted as delegate to county conventions.  His support is given to the Republican party.  While not a member of any church, his views are broad and liberal and his principles high minded and charitable.

            Mr. RUFE, married December 3, 1862, Isabel Williams, and the following children have been born to them: 1. Anna, born October 16, 1894, attended the public schools of Erwinna, and in 1886, became the wife of Oswin GUSSMAN, son of William and Hester (MOLL) GUSSMAN, of Quakertown. Mr. GUSSMAN, is an Independent in politics and a member of the Reformed church, he and his wife are the parents of one daughter, Gertrude, who graduated in the class of 1904. 2 Claude TREICHLER, born October 24, 1868, learned the trade of iron-moulding, and subsequently entered his father’s store, of which he now has charge in partnership with his brother-in-law.  Oswin GUSSMAN, in politics he is a Republican, he married Alice, daughter of Charles and Catharine (APPLE) SHAW, of Quakertown and they were the parents of the following children.  Raymond, May, Anna and Harold.  After the death of his wife, Mr. FUFE married in 1903, Mary, widow of Dr. SNYDER, of Bucks county.

            Mrs. RUFE is a granddaughter of John and Ann (CHRISTIAN) WILLIAMS, whose son James was born August 23, 1809, in Tinicum township, and in early life was employed on the canal.  Later he was for a number of years the proprietor of a general store at Erwinna.  He married Phoebe Ann, daughter of David and Ann TREICHLER, and their children were; 1, Emeline, born March 3, 1836 married, 1856, H. E WARFORD. 2. Mary Jane, born June 22, 1838, died October 21, 1838.  3. Isabel, born November 4, 1839, became the wife of Jon Ziegler RUFE, as mentioned above.  4. Charles TREICHLER, born April 19, 1842, married, April 3, 1868, Ella C. SMITH, of Philadelphia, and died August 16, 1898.  5.  Clayton, born June 3, 1846, married, February 14, 1877, Josephine HARTSHORN, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, and died January 13, 1900.  6. Mary Emeline, born May 3 1857, married, January 29, 1880. Frank S. KERN, of Quakertown, and has two children, Frank S. and Ollie, who resides at home.  Mr. Williams, the father of the family, expired March 14, 1893, having attained to a great age, being then in his ninety-fourth year.

Text taken from page 596 to 597 of: 

Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III

Transcribed May 2007 by Joan Lollis as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html

Published May 2007 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/

All copyright laws are observed to the best of our ability. However if you feel something is on the site and infringes on copyright laws please contact me and let me know.

Use of information is for Personal Genealogical purposes only.  Commercial publication of any such information is prohibited. All text and images are copyright by said contributors.

Return to the Bucks County PaGenWeb Main Page or use your Back Button

If you have a homepage, know of a link or have information you wish to share. or would like to volunteer to transcribe information for the Bucks Co. PA please email:      Page was last edited: 01/11/2009