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• _UID: B9AF54DD5F4649E5971149B59B812BE33C95

Family/Spouse: Jefferson Davis Caldwell. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 20D0851204164400A494A6C36A6EDD3C77F1

Notes:

Served in the Union Army in Company K, 1st Reg., TN Inf. He waswounded at Knoxville, TN in 1863.

Sharing the Past

Ruffner Family History continues

Jean Pollard
Columnist

Last week I had information on Christian A. Ruffner, Sr. who had a son Christian Ruffner Jr. The family of Christian Jr. came from Switzerland to settle first in the Wartburg area around 1848. He is remembered as settling in the Coalfield area as the first Swiss-German colonizing families of Coalfield. There are many descendants of Christian Ruffner Jr. who remain in the Coalfield area. Last week I shared information on one of his sons, Jacob (John William) “Shack Ruffner and this week I will give more information on two other brothers, Christian A. Ruffner 111 and Peter A. Ruffner.
Christian A. Ruffner 111 was born Sept. 17, and died May 31, 1897. He married Nancy Raby Dec. 28, 1856 in Knox County. According to material sent by Jim Ruffner from writings of Pauline H. Roberts, Christian Ruffner fought with the Union Army, Company F, 5th TN Inf, with the rank of Sgt in the Civil War.
Peter A. Ruffner was born June 9, 1839 and died June 17, 1892. He married Nancy Elizabeth Chiles (born Oct. 1845) on January 10, 1865 in Coalfield. She was the daughter of Henry Chiles and Nancy Garner. Peter served in the Union Army in Company K. 1st Reg. TN Inf. He was wounded at Knoxville, TN in 1963.
The children of Peter A. and Nancy Chiles were: William W. Ruffner, Cordelia Ruffner, Matilda Josephine Ruffner, Lydia L. Ruffner, Arlena “Lena” Holder Ruffner, Docia Paralee Ruffner, Vesta Ruffner, Peter (John) and Elda Ruffner.
See you next week!!

Photos submitted
Photo 1: Peter Ruffner
Photo 2: Nancy Chiles Ruffner with six of her daughters. Front from left: Tilda, Lena, Docia, Nancy, Lydia and Delia. In the back is Elda.

Peter married Nancy Elizabeth Chiles on 10 Jan 1865 in Coalfield, Morgan, Tennessee, United States. Nancy (daughter of Henry Chiles and Nancy Garner) was born in 1845; died in 1929; was buried in Estes Cemetery, Coalfield, Morgan, Tennessee, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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In 1846, Christian, his wife and their four children left Switzerlandfor the U.S. According to Christian Jr's naturalization papers (onfile in Wartburg in 1848), they were aboard a ship that encountered astorm on the high seas and was driven off course to some place on theGeorgia coast, then on to Charleston, S.C.

Morgan County Tennessee 1850 Federal Census
Surname -- Given Name(s) -- Age -- Gender -- Color -- Occupation --Real Estate -- Birthplace --
Ruffner--Christian------44--m--*--farmer--$250.00--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Cordolia------46--f--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Sun------20--f--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Christian------14--m--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Peter------10--m--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Michael------7--m--*--*--*--GERMANY--*--*--*--*--*
Ruffner--Jacob------1--m--*--*--*--TN--*--*--*--*--*

Morgan County Tennessee 1860 Federal Census
Ruffner--Christian------55--m----farmer----GERMANY
Ruffner--Cordolia------57--f----GERMANY
Ruffner--Peter------20--m----GERMANY
Ruffner--Michael------16--m----GERMANY
Ruffner--Jackson-----10--m---TN
Ruffner--Plena Ann-----9--f---TN

Christian Ruffner, Jr. was a millwright by trade. He settled in thearea of the first district near the waters located on what is nowFairview Road. This area became known as "Ruffner's Switch." Hisfirst mill was located on these waters near the waterfall.

In 1866, Christian Ruffner Jr. gave one acre of land to the schoolcommissioners of the first district of Morgan County, TN. Upon thistract of land a meetinghouse was built. Said deed reads: "Thisparcel of land was conveyed to the Common school commissioners of the1st District of Morgan County, TN to wit: Ezra Russell, John Webster,& William C. Davis and their successors in office for the use of thecommon school and Church house to be free to all Christiandenominations to worship Almighty God.

Signed by:
Christian Ruffner, Jr.

Witnessed by: R.G. Hudson & William H. Davis, on the 23rd day of July1866. Recorded in deed book N, Pg. 620.

"Morgan County News" 13 Feb 1969 -article by Snyder E. Roberts

Christian Ruffner was one of the early Swiss-German colonizingfamilies of Coalfield, TN. The Christian Ruffner, Jr. descendants arenumerous and their activities have made a sizeable impact on thehistory of Coalfield and the 1st Dist. of Morgan County.

Christian Ruffner, Jr. was born March 1807 in the town of Maienfeld,and Canton (state) of Graubunden, Switzerland. His first 4 childrenwere born in Switzerland, and the youngest one in Morgan County. Thedata are authenticated by entries on a family sheet in "The FamilyBook to Community Wartburg" of the German Reformed Church written inGerman by its Pastor, the Rev. Theodore Etter in 1855.

Christian, Jr., his wife and 4 children left Switzerland in 1846,bound for the Wartburg Colony in Morgan County, TN. Judging from thedates given in Christian, Jr.'s naturalization papers which were filedin Wartburg in 1848, Christian, his family, and other colonizers wereaboard the ship that encountered a storm on the high seas and wasdriven off course to someplace on the GA coast before they made theirway to Charleston, SC.

Christian Ruffner, Jr. was a millwright by trade, and probably helpedwith the establishing of Wartburg before he settled some few miles tothe east in present-day 1st District which grew into a community witha Post Office called Rio, and as the Ruffners multiplied, it waslatter called "Ruffner's Switch.", and is the present-day Coalfield.

His first mill was located near the water fall slightly west of theCoalfield High School. As time went on, he and his sons located othersaw and grist mills powered by water, and later by steam.

Christian married Cordolia Faller in Mar 1828 in Switzerland. Cordolia (daughter of Peter Faller and Cordula Schoni) was born in 1804; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Notes:

Henry Childs (Chiles) b. 1797 d. 1881 married Nancy Garner b. 1803.Their ist child was Serelda Minerva Childs(Chiles) b.1828 d. 1917 married James Thornton b. 1825 and had Nancy Elizabeth Thornton 25 Dec. 1859in Coalfield, Tenn. She marriedJ Thomas Nelson b. Scotland, lived in Pa., then Coalfield, Tenn.Minerva Nelson was born to Nancy and Thomas Nelson in 1888(1886) in Coalfield, Tennessee.Minerva Married George Conatser in 1906 and their son, Daniel Arnold Conatser, was born in 1908.Daniel was also known as Arnold Steward(Stewart).The name Steward(Stewart) could be a stepfather or a foster parent.He said he grew up in a foster home.

Source: Genelogy.com forum; http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/childs/2018/

Henry married Nancy Garner. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Christian married Anna Justin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 4F9F429043FB46828E8D2677E56F7C0957CC

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Peter married Cordula Schoni. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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