DUANE
Get the App
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm going to do it justice. John Ruckman was born on November 9th, 1835, in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. And if you want to talk about an entrance, consider this: he landed at Indianola, Texas, on his twenty-first birthday.
November 9th, 1856. Not a day before, not a day after. Whatever that means to you, it meant something to him, because he stayed.
He had come to join his older brother Thomas, co-founder of Helena, and from that landing at Indianola he made his way here, to Karnes County, and set down roots so deep they're still holding. Farmer. Rancher.
Postmaster. Merchant. Pioneer banker.
Leader in the Presbyterian church. The man did not sit still, is what I'm saying. When the Civil War came, Ruckman served as a lieutenant in the Confederate Army, from 1862 to 1865.
He came home, and in 1867 he married Lizzie Dickson. Together they raised eight children: John, Robert, Mary, Thomas, Follmer, Hester, Hugh, and Margaret. Eight names under one roof, and what a roof it was.
In 1878, Ruckman built this house out of Florida cypress. Florida cypress, hauled to Karnes County, cut and fitted and raised into something meant to last. It did last.
John Ruckman died on January 8th, 1913, and he is buried in Helena Cemetery, not far from the brother who brought him to Texas in the first place. One birthday landing at Indianola, and a whole life built from there.
What the marker says
Ruckman (Nov. 9, 1835 - Jan. 8, 1913), born in Northumberland County, Pa., came to Texas in 1856 to join his older brother Thomas, co-founder of Helena. Landing at Indianola on his 21st birthday, he came here to spend lifetime as farmer, rancher, postmaster, merchant, pioneer banker, leader in Presbyterian church. In Civil War, 1862-65, he was a lieutenant in Confederate Army. Married Lizzie Dickson, 1867. Children were John, Robert, Mary, Thomas, Follmer, Hester, Hugh and Margaret. In 1878 he built this house of Florida cypress. He is buried in Helena Cemetery.