The First Newcomer Family Reunion

Copied by Carol M. Newcomer-Cox from The Waldron Recorder, July 8, 1937, Waldron, Michigan USA. The family group in this account are the descendants of George Debolt Newcomer.

The Newcomer Family reunion was held Sunday July 4 at the beautiful country home of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Newcomer.

This was the first reunion to be held by the family group. A bountiful co-operative dinner was served. All but four if the family group were present for the first gathering. Guests included Mr. and Mrs. Clare Tedrow and son George, Mr. and Mrs. Wave Tedrow; Mrs. James Tedrow, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Tedrow and son Jimmy of Delta, Ohio, Mrs. Mert Newcomer, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Leininger and daughter Ruth of Wauseon, O. Miss Dorothea Leininger of Detroit, Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Lee and Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Lee and family of Waldron, Mr. and Mrs. N.J. McCully and daughter of Midland, Mich., Mr. and Mrs. C.O. Merrifield, Montpelier, O., Mrs. Lawrence Ruffer and daughter, Nancy of Archbold, O.

An invitation was extended by Mr. and Mrs. Clare Tedrow for the next reunion to be held at their home the first Sunday in July 1938.

Cousins: Family and Connection

Of all of my 1st cousins on my father's side of the family, I was the baby of that generation of the clan. By the time I came along in 1949, many of those cousins were already in high school, and some were already married with children of there own, a couple of such children being as old or even a little order then me.

That providence of differing ages made family get-together's interesting for me. As a young kid, it was a little fuzzy at times as to how everyone related to me. The other impact was that I did not have the degree of mutual experiences with these older cousins that I had with those on Mom's side of the family that were more my age and generation. That pretty well describes the gap that existed; it was a generation gap. Some of them were actually closer to my Father in age then they were to me. Sadly, some of those cousins are no longer with us; they have passed away and the opportunity to connect and relate has passed.

With my retirement back in December of 2013, I find I am now having time to "catch up" with the lives of some of those older cousins who are still with us. We've had occasion to get together and visit, and share some of the stories of our lives. I find in that a certain fulfillment. These cousins are family and also friends. I hear stories about my Grandpa and Grandma, and about my Aunts and Uncles, and of course, the cousins themselves. After all these years, I am connecting with them on a level not previously known. That's pretty neat, and it is pretty precious.

Herbert Lawrence Ruffer

Herbert Lawrence Ruffer
Born in Michigan on Aug. 10, 1940
Passed away on Aug. 10, 2013 and resided in San Pedro, CA.

August 10, 1940 – August 10, 2013

Born in a farmhouse in Michigan to Florence Newcomer Ruffer and Lawrence Ruffer, Herb grew up loving farm- fresh fruits and vegetables and hating milk and eggs. He graduated from Baldwin- Wallace College in Ohio with a degree in religion. Abandoning a plan to become a Mennonite minister, Herb joined the Air Force where he was stationed in Texas and Colorado and served as a Supply Sergeant in Saigon during the Vietnam War.

He and his wife and son lived in Cherry Hill, NJ. Following a successful career in the commercial casualty insurance field, Herb moved to San Pedro, where he married his second wife, Sherry. He loved the ocean, marine life, and USC football. He was a docent at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Care Center, both in San Pedro.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Gail and sister, Mary. He is survived by his son, Guy; daughter-in-law, Kerstan; wife, Sherry; brother, David; sisters, Anne and Nancy; three beautiful grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He passed away from complications of MS. Following cremation by McNerney's Mortuary, scattering of Herb's ashes at sea and a memorial service will be private. Donations may be made to FRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Marine Mammal Care Center or a charity of your choice.

(McNerney's Mortuary, 570 W. 5th Street, San Pedro, California)

Herb was a first cousin. His mother Florence was my Father's sister.

When I was a young lad, there was a time I was at Aunt Florence's place in the country near Archbold, Ohio. It was a warm sunny day with a good breeze blowing. My much older cousin Herb took me to an open field across the road, and he flew a box kite he had attached to the line of a fishing reel. He let me full the strong tug of the pull of the kite as it danced and sailed in the breeze way up in the sky. I never forgot that. Thank you for the memory Herb... RIP...

Mary M. (Ruffer) Bauerle (1946 - 2008)

Roper and Sons: Obituaries

Mary M. Bauerle

Lincoln, died Saturday (03/29/08). Born May 4, 1946 to Lawrence and Florence (Newcomer) Ruffer at Saginaw, Mich. Mary worked in Public Relations for Martin Luther Homes. Member: Southwood Lutheran Church. Active in the following church ministries: Director of Children's Choir and member of Adult Choir. She helped start the church's Stephen Ministry; taught Adult Sunday School; and worked with Parish Education.

Visitation: From 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday (04/01/08) at the funeral home.

Service: 10 a.m. Wednesday (04/02/08), at Southwood Lutheran Church, 9300 S. 40th St., Lincoln, with Pastors Greg Olson, Sara Spohr, and Michael Ryan officiating.

 Family Gathering: Family will greet friends from 6 - 8 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home; and one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.

Cemetery: N/A

Guy Vernon Newcomer (1879 - 1940)

OBITUARY

Guy Vernon Newcomer was born August 17, 1879 near Wauseon, Ohio, the son of George D. and Melinda Newcomer.

In 1901 he was married to Miss Sadie Gray of Fayette, O. To this union were born five children. The first ten years they made their home near Wauseon. In December 1910 they moved to the present home near Waldron, Mich.

He was an active member in the Masonic lodge and for four years was worshipful master of Leonard lodge No. 266, F. & A. M. At the time of his death he was a member of the school board of the White district.

After an illness of several months, he passed away Tuesday, May 7, 1940, age 60 years.

Survivng him are his widow, five children, Mrs. Clare Merrifield, Montpelier, Ohio; Mrs. Nathan McCully of Midland, Mich.; Mrs. Lawerence Ruffer of Waldron and Rex and June at home; two sisters, Mrs. E. C. Lee of Waldron and Mrs. Clare Tedrow of Delta, O., and nine grand children and many friends.

_______________

CARD OF THANKS

Words fail to convey our appreciation of the many beautiful things done for us by our friends in this our last sorrow.

Mrs. Guy Newcomer and family.
_________________

This obituary of my Grandfather was transcribed from a copy my sister Carol sent me. There is no indication on that copy of which newspaper the obituary was originally published in. The Card of Thanks did appear under the obituary. Grandpa's mother was Melinda (Mikesell) Newcomer. It is through Melinda that our line of Newcomer is connected to the Mikesell and Bayes families.

Guy Vernon Newcomer Remembered

My Grandfather, Guy Vernon Newcomer, died about nine years before I was born. My mother’s father had died from complications while recovering from a farm accident when my mom was only seven years old. Thus it was in God’s providence I never got to know either of my Grandfathers. Back in 1988 I asked my Aunt Florence (Newcomer) Ruffer to write about what she remembered of her father, my Grandfather. The following is what she wrote in December 1988:

Guy Newcomer 1880 - 1940

“No one can tell me much about our father so what I write is my remembrances of Guy Vernon Newcomer.

Our mother was the dominant figure in our home so I remember Dad as a quite, gentle man. He had many friends and was a good neighbor. Dad did not attend church. Would he have if Mother would have gone to the Methodist church? We’ll never know.

I can see Dad, at 6 P.M., sitting beside the Atwatter Kent (radio) listening to Lowell Thomas’ newscast. He never failed to listen to his favorite newsman. I also can picture him with the cigar in his mouth as he drove the horses or car. Also, driving the horses attached to the bobsled as he picked us up from school on snowy days. Often he took all the kids home around the square mile. No, he didn’t smoke the cigar at that time.

He loved his Masonic lodge and was a loyal member of the Waldron lodge. He had a wry sense of humor for instance; mother’s W.C.T.U. (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) was, to him, the “Women’s Continual Talking Union” and lodge members who only came for the “eats” were the “belly members”.

Ruth Merrifield Suffel (his grand-daughter), says he always took them with him to the mill and he always bought them candy. I recall the ice cream cones he always bought us on the Saturday night town trip.

Dad always rested his horses at noon - he also rested on the couch on the back porch. He always fed milk to many barn cats. that feeding always came first.

Dad graduated from the eighth grade and I believe he should have gone to college but destiny said “he a farmer”. He could have been a surveyor or some trade similar.

Dad was a good man, as I recall him. I remember going to the Fulton County fair with him and the many friends he also had in Wauseon.”

[Florence (Newcomer) Ruffer, December 1988]

The school Aunt Florence mentioned was the old White School on Hartley Road just west of Tuttle Road. A house now sits where the school building once was. My grandparents moved to Waldron, Michigan about 1911 from the Wauseon, Ohio area.

My father says that in the late 1920’s Grandpa had to take off-farm work to make ends meet. He got a job in Toledo, Ohio. Toledo is about 50 miles east of Waldron. He would stay in Toledo during the week, then come home for the weekend. At that time one could catch the train in Fayette and ride in to Toledo and back.