When Rufus Robert Runke was born on February 10, 1889, in Ahnapee, Wisconsin, his father, Heinrich, was 36 and his mother, Wilhelmina “Minnie” Bruemmer Runke, was 31. He had seven brothers and eight sisters. He died on November 1, 1969 in Algoma, Wisconsin, at the age of 79. Rufus was 9th in the birth order of the Runke siblings. Our direct ancestor Alma Runke was 4th in birth order.

Rufus was married first to Ruth Elida Vollmer but after her death in July of 1932 he remarried to Myrtle Mae Hyde (the widow of William Esser Perry ) in 1936 when he was at the age of 47.

Here is how we connect: Rufus Runke was a brother of my son-in-law’s great grandmother, Alma Runke Schmiling. This means that Rufus Runke was a 2nd great uncle of Drew.