Alfred G. Ruf, was born 8 July 1857, Dayton OH, the eldest son of Albert and Caroline Froeschle Ruf. The family settled in Williamstown WV circa 1869-70 where they built and operated a tannery. Alfred worked at the tannery helping his father. He never married. On November 6, 1885 he committed suicide by shooting himself. He was buried in the Old Williamstown Cemetery.
In a letter from the late Betty Gephart Frey of Tucson AZ (formerly Marietta OH) she writes: " My grandmother (Amelia Ruf Strauss) was in Marietta when Alfred committed suicide. The river was frozen over (no bridges yet) and someone came to the Strauss home on Washington St. (someone from Williamstown). When she answered the door she said, "Alfred shot himself---I heard the shot", she said before the messenger could speak.
They were very close and she wasn't surprised that she knew. Alfred was trying to get his father to soften in his relations with family members. He thought that this might help. Because it was suicide they would not allow his body inside the old Catholic cemetery--so it is outside the fence. I used to go with my grandmother to visit the graves there. She is buried in Oak Grove on 8th St. (Marietta OH) very near the street. It is the Strauss Lot."
(Betty Gephart Frey, May 17, 1990, Tucson AZ)
No comments:
Post a Comment