Ervin L. Ruff, 86

Ervin L. Ruff, 86, passed away Sunday, April 22, 2007, at Brendan House in Kalispell. He was born March 17, 1921, on the family farm near Lehr, N.D., to L. B. and Emma (Weixal) Ruff.

Ervin attended grades one through eight in a one-room schoolhouse in Lehr and worked on the family farm until he was 18 years old. He was a member of the CCC for a period of time before returning to the farm.

In June 1942, he went into the Army and was stationed at Fort Snelling, Minn., and Fort Richie in Maryland, driving heavy trucks. After being honorably discharged Feb. 10, 1946, Ervin went to auto-diesel school in Nashville, Tenn., for two years.

In 1950, he took a job as shop foreman for Sunbeam Motors in Jamestown, N.D. There he met Mary Jean Falk, and the couple married on April 19, 1952. In 1953, Kalispell became home for the growing Ruff family. Loneliness was not a problem, with seven children and an assortment of cats.

Ervin worked at Manion's Garage from 1953 to 1964 and the COD Body Shop from 1964 until he opened his own garage in 1967, where he worked until his retirement in 1991.

Ervin and Mary fearlessly loaded their children into cars or campers and traveled around the Northwest, Canada, California and North Dakota. Sometimes they took the cat along, too. Ervin enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, woodworking and spending time with his family and friends. He liked to meet his old friends at Syke's for a cup of coffee. Ervin was a life member of the Eagles.

Ervin was preceded in death by two brothers, Vernon and Elroy; and a sister, Agnes.

He is now survived by his wife of 55 years, Mary Ruff, of Kalispell; their seven children, Julie Ruff, and her husband, Randy Seright, of Socorro, N.M.; Barbara Sawyer, and her husband, Bill, of Missoula; Jan Strait and her husband, Dennis, of Kalispell; Mike Ruff of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Steve Ruff of Kalispell; Teresa Falcon and her husband, David, of Kalispell; and Susanne Boudreaux and her husband, John, of Montgomery, Ala.; seven grandchildren, Melissa, Kristina, Kaitlyn, Charles 'Bud,' Jessica, Allison, and Kayla; one great-grandchild, Aliyah; one sister, Verna Flaig, of Missoula; sister-in-law, Lucille Ruff, of Lehi, N.D.; and several nieces and nephews,

Funeral services for Ervin will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 27, in the Johnson Mortuary chapel, with interment afterward at Glacier Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in the Johnson Mortuary chapel. A reception will be held at the Trinity Lutheran Church for food and 'Erv stories.'\

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Ervin's family.