Mary Ruff

On Tuesday May 8th 2024, Mary Molly Granke Ruff of Bridgman, passed away peacefully surrounded by her girls at A Place Called Home in Stevensville, owned by her granddaughter Meagan Frye.
Mary had an impressive life, at a young age, Mary and her sister Margaret sang and yodeled locally and could play many instruments by ear, Mini Pearl came to the family farm in Galien and enticed her parents to let the "The Granke Sisters" take a train to Chicago to perform on WLS Radio Show, and cut some records.
On April 30th 1949, Mary married her true love, her very strong, brave and handsome Adolph Ruff, they met at a dance and it was love at first sight which lasted forever. For their entirety of 63 years together, they sat by one another and held hands every night. They raised 6 beautiful children and had a wonderful life together. Mary was dedicated to her family, always busy with her passion of cooking, planting a garden, teaching her grandchildren how to read and do multiplication, running an assisted living facility, starting a catering business with her sister Dorothy, taking in any animal and giving them a chance to live. She loved to read anything medical and was very knowledgeable about health, many called her Doc. Her beautiful smile and contagious laugh lit up a room, she offered her house as home to many people, she will be remembered by always "MAKING YOU EAT AND DRINK SOMETHING- NO MATTER WHAT". But the most important work she ever did was within the walls of her home, her family was her pride and joy and she always loved family gatherings. Mary always had a way of making everyone feel special, she was known for always finding the good in everybody and always overlooking the bad. Mary was a member of Immunal Lutheran church, her behavior and heart always reflected her strong faith in God.
Mary is survived by her 4 sons: Dennis (Rhonda) Ruff, Richard (Debra) Ruff, James Ruff, Timothy (Holly) Ruff and her 2 daughters Mary Ann (Scott) Palenske and Deborah ( Randy) Frye and 15 loving grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren as well as many great grand fur babies and many nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded in death by her husband, her parents Henry and Molly Granke, and her siblings Ernest, Margaret, Martha Ann, Dorothy, Henry, Arthur and Richard.
A Visitation and service will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bridgman, on Monday May 13th from 11am till 1pm and service follows at 1pm. Burial will follow after service at the New Troy Cemetery.
We would like to thank our brother Jim for taking such good care of mom for many years. We would also thank Meagan and her wonderful staff at A Place Called Home.
Mary was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She will be leaving a hollow void in our lives, never to be filled with anything but her gift of loving us.
Our Family was blessed with the most loving parents in the whole wide world, their Legacy will be lived on, by the " I love you's ".
Memorial Donations in Mary's name may be made to "A Place Called Home".