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Ruff/ Erbele Family Collection

 Collection
Identifier: GRHC SC 040

Scope and Contents

The Ruff/ Erbele Family Collection contains two accession numbers, 2011.25 and 2012.18, because it was brought in at different times. The first accession, 2011.25, contained seven images of the Erbele and Ruff families and a family pedigree. The second accession, 2012.18, contained seventeen images of the Erbele and Ruff families and a biography page on Henry George. The collection was initially named the Dianne Gemelli Collection upon her first donation in 2011. Upon the second donation in 2012, the collection named was changed, at the donor’s request, to reflect that the photographs are also courtesy of Merrlyn (Ruff) Meland. The Ruff/ Erbele Family Collection contains two series: Family History and Photographic Images.

The Family History Series contains a copy of a six-page handwritten family pedigree for Dianne Gemelli. This chart traces her lineage back to Jakob Friedrich Erbele. The most modern entry is that of Dianne Gemelli’s granddaughter, Devin Ridler, who was born in 2001. Also included is a small leaflet copied from a book with biographical information on Henry George.

The Photographic Images Series consists of twenty-four (24) scanned images of members of the Erbele and Ruff families of Logan County, North Dakota. These photographic images were copied from the original photographs and are maintained within this collection as photocopies or as digital files.

Dates

  • 1895 - 2011

Creator

Access

Access to the physical collection is available upon request. Request must be made at least three (3) business days prior to ndsu.grhc@ndsu.edu.

Copyright

Copyrights to items in this collection remain with original copyright holders or are in the public domain.

Biography

Dianne (Meland) Gemelli is a descendent of the Erbele family, which can be traced back to Jerg Erbelin, who died in Germany in 1603. According to “The Erbele Family History: 1801-1984,” the name Erbele translates to “a small heir,” or landowner. Jacob Friedrich Erbele was born in 1801 in Stuttgart, Germany, and settled in Dennewitz, Bessarabia in 1813 with his family. One of his sons, Johan Martin Erbele, was born in 1836 in Teplitz, South Russia. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Weber), had eight children. Johan was determined to give his children the best available opportunities in education, and one of his sons, Johan Martin Erbele II, came to the United States in 1885, landing in New York City. He and his family journeyed overland to Yankton, Dakota Territory, later South Dakota, before settling in Lehr, North Dakota. Johan Martin Erbele II and his wife, Maria, had two sons, Jacob and Henry. Erbele died in 1900 and is buried in Lehr. His descendants continue to live throughout the United States.

(Source The Erbele Family History: 1801-1984, by Roy Slaughter and Martha Erbele Slaughter, 2002.)

Extent

3 Folders

Language of Materials

English

Summary

Erbele and Ruff family genealogical material and twenty-four photographic images of the Erbele and Ruff families, circa 1895-2011.

Arrangement

The Ruff/ Erbele Family Collection has been organized into two series: Family History and Photographic Images.

Provenance

Materials donated by Dianne (Meland) Gemelli and Merrlyn (Ruff) Meland on August 19, 2011 and August 15, 2012.

Property Rights

The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection owns the property rights to this collection.
Title
Finding Aid to the Ruff/Erbele Family Collection
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection Repository

Contact:
NDSU Dept 2080
PO Box 6050
Fargo ND 58108-6050 United States
(701) 231-6596