Martin Pedersen Ruh
Martin, the son of Peder Ruh (Rue) and Anne Jensen, was born on August 1, 1841 in Eidsvold, Norway. He came from Norway to Muskego, Wisconsin in 1855 as a boy of 14. Two weeks after the family's arrival, his mother died in a cholera epidemic and was buried from the Muskego log cabin church which now stands on the Luther Seminary campus in St. Paul. This church was one of the first churches in this country to be built by Norwegian immigrants. Martin attended Augustana Seminary in Chicago, Illinois from 1861-63 and in Paxton from 1863-66. He graduated as a Candidate in Theology in 1866. Martin was ordained in 1866 and served as a pastor in Springfield, Iowa from 1866-69; Alpena, Michigan from 1870-77; Sheboygan, Wisconsin from 1877-78; Oslo, Wisconsin from 1878-80, and Lemonweir, Wisconsin from 1880-1896.
Martin was married on May 12, 1867 to Anna Martine Knutson of Locust, Minnesota. Anna, the daughter of Mons Knutson and Bertha, was born on April 8, 1841 in Bergen, Norway. Anna emigrated in 1865 with Rev. and Mrs. H. A. Stub. She lived with them for two years in Winneshiek County, Iowa.
Martin became a minister and during his earlier years wrote books and articles for the Norwegian-American press. He had a print shop and bindery in Marshall, Wisconsin in 1871. In the summer of 1880, he was called to serve the East and West Lemonweir congregations, Greenwood in Vernon County, and Cazenovia in Richland County. Martin was installed as pastor on September 19, 1880. He also provided a Wednesday service once a month for the Danish St. Stephen's Lutheran Church until 1890. Pastor Ruh took trips to the north and preached in the neighborhood of Vedum (Veedum) Station (SW section 5, Dexter Township) and in Dexterville in Wood County. For several years, he served the Necedah congregation.
Pastor Ruh resigned in 1896 to devote his energies to the establishment of the Skaalen Old People's Home in Stoughton, Wisconsin. He was the financial secretary from 1896-1900 and the pastor and manager from 1900-1904. Martin and Anna lived in Elroy, Wisconsin from 1904 to 1923 (in 1905, they lived in a rented home). Martin served as vicar in several places, for example in Holton, Michigan in 1909. He died on December 14, 1923 at the home of his son, Herman, in Mauston. Anna died on May 12, 1923 in Elroy. They were buried in the East Lemonweir Cemetery (Wis Cen, 1905, Elroy #80; Bk 3, p.229; obit, New Lisbon, Dec 20, 1923).
Children (known):
Huldah Mathilde, b. May 20, 1868, near Decorah, Iowa; bp. Jun 7, 1868; conf, Aug 12, 1883, ELC; m. Helge Kittilson.
Adelaide Sophia, b. Aug 17, 1869, Decorah, IA; bp. Sep 15, 1869; conf, Jul 10, 1884, ELC; m. Aug 28, 1895, Plymouth Twp, by Rev. M. P. Ruh, Pastor Bernhard Essendorf Bergersen (b. 1868/9, Stavanger, Nor, s of Rev. O. Bergersen and Marie). Witnesses: August P. Ruh and Anna Reque; res: Boston, MA, Minneapolis, 1923.
Anna Martine, b. c1871, Hartland, Waukesha Co, WI; conf, Aug 17, 1886; m. Jun 27, 1892, Fountain Twp, Pastor Ole Otterson (Ostenson) (s of Osten and Marie Olson); res: West Salem, WI, 1923.
August Peder (Peter), b. 1873, Hartland, Waukesha Co, WI; conf, Jul 29, 1888, ELC.
Johan (John) Bernhard Knudsen, b. c1874, Alpena, MI; conf, Jun 30, 1889, ELC.
Martin Herman, b. Jun 3, 1878, Sheboygan, WI; conf, Aug 14, 1892,
ELC.