Rev. Paul M. Ruff

1918 - 05

The Rev. Paul Miller Ruff died Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, in Fayetteville, Ga., after a very long and healthy life. Pastor Ruff was born in Westmoreland County, May 26, 1918, a son of Samuel and Amanda Miller Ruff, who were lifelong residents of Westmoreland County. Pastor Ruff was educated in the Greensburg schools and at St. Vincent College, Latrobe. As a boy, he attended Harrold's Schoolhouse No. 8 and was instrumental in the restoration of this same schoolhouse by the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society, which he founded in 1993. He was married to Lydia Zundel (1920-1996) and Zella Baughman Chanon (who died in 2001). He is survived by two children, Margaret and Jim Aldredge, of Fairburn, Ga., and Jeremy and Joyce Ruff, of Cary, N.C.; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Following his seminary preparation at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1943, Pastor Ruff served four congregations, First English Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ashtabula, Ohio, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Jefferson, Ohio, House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Aliquippa, and Grace Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh (Troy Hill). Following his retirement in 1990, he served several congregations in Western Pennsylvania as an interim pastor. During this time, he also pursued his retirement vocation of transcribing church records from German script into English. These transcriptions have been published and are available from the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society through its Web site http://baltzermeyer.pa-roots.com. In addition to his interest in genealogy and local history, he was true to his farm roots and was an avid vegetable gardener. He organized local farmers markets in Beaver County and in Westmoreland County that are still in existence today. He specialized in blueberries, strawberries and garlic. Memorials in his memory may be sent to Baltzer Meyer Historical Society, 642 Baltzer Meyer Pike, Greensburg, PA 15601-9711; Phone: 724-836-6915; e-mail: baltzermeyer@juno.com.