Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 932
CLARK RUFFCORN

The RUFFCORN family were among the pioneer settlers of Harrison county, Iowa, located here as early as 1867. Clark RUFFCORN bought a small farm before his marriage and has since added to it until he now owns three hundred acres of excellent framing land in Morgan township. He has been very successful in all of his agricultural operations and is now taking life easy, after having spent many years of ceaseless industry. He is highly respected throughout the community, where he has made his home for so many years, and few farmers in the county have excelled him in all that goes to make the successful farmer.

Clark RUFFCORN is a son of Lewis and Mary H. (BAKER) RUFFCORN, and was born on March 26, 1860, in Meigs county, Ohio. His parents were both of German descent, his father being a farmer, brickmason and plasterer. The family lived in Ohio, until 1867, when Lewis RUFFCORN brought his family to Harrison county to make their permanent home. He rented land for a few years and then bought a farm in Morgan township, where he lived until his death.

Clark RUFFCORN was one of nine children born to his parents. He was seven years of age when the family located in Harrison county, and consequently received all of his education in the schools of this county. He remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age, and then bought sixty-two acres in section 14, of Morgan township. He lived on this farm for two years, his sister keeping house for him. After his marriage, in 1883, he settled down to the life of a farmer and stock raiser. Each year he has become more prosperous and the farm has been placed in better condition. Year by year he has added to his land holdings, and his present farm of three hundred acres is a glowing tribute to his success in all lines of endeavor. While yet a youth, he and his brother, Simon R., bought a threshing machine and corn sheller. After the first two years, he bought out his brother's interest and operated the outfit alone. The first land which Mr. RUFFCORN bought, cost him ten dollars an acre while some of the land which he has since acquired has cost him one hundred and twenty dollars an acre, while none of it could be bought at that present time for less than one hundred and fifty dollars an acre, which goes to show the rapid increase in value of land in this county.

Mr. RUFFCORN was married on April 22, 1885, to Ida F. CASSITY, who was born on April 6. 1868, in Mills county, Iowa, and is a daughter of John and Catherine (KINDEL) CASSITY. Her parents were natives of Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, and early settlers in Mills county, Iowa. When Mrs. RUFFCORN was a small girl, her parents located in Harrison county, where they lived the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. RUFFCORN are the parents of six children, two of whom are married, Laura and Fern. Laura is the wife of Dexter BARKER, of South Dakota, and has two children, Gladys and Joy. Fern is the wife of Everett WATTS, a farmer of Morgan township. The single children who are still living at home are Sherrell, Robert, Syble, and Heber.

Mr. RUFFCORN is a stanch Republican as was his father before him. An indication of the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens is shown by the fact that he has served as trustee of his township for nine years. Since his sons have become old enough to be of material assistance on the farm, Mr. RUFFCORN has been taking life easy. He has a fine automobile and takes frequent fishing and hunting trips. He enjoys fishing on the Missouri river, which is only a short distance from his house. His sons are ardent sportsmen as well, and do a great deal of hunting. When Mr. RUFFCORN first came to Harrison county, deer, turkeys, ducks and geese could be found in abundance up and down the Missouri river, and game is still abundant in places.

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