Springfield-Greene
County LibraryEarly and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens
J. B. RUFFIN. Among, the large percentage of Southern people in Greene county is J. B. Ruffin, and like most of them, is the possessor of the personal characteristics of those bred in fair Dixie land, which makes him a desirable citizen, one who wins and retains friends easily. From his early youth he has been a lover of horses and has become an expert judge of them and also an expert in their successful handling, and he is at this writing the owner of a number of good ones which he keeps in his modernly appointed livery stable in Springfield.
Mr. Ruffin was born in Panola county, Mississippi, September 2, 1866. He is a son of James and Mary (Brahan) Ruffin. The father was born in Hardman county, Tennessee in 1838, and the mother was born in Mississippi in 1848. They each represent old families of the South and grew to maturity in their respective communities, received good educational advantages, were married and have always lived in the South, still living at Sardis, Mississippi, where they are widely and well known. James Ruffin attended medical college when a young man and received his degree of Doctor of Medicine and became a successful practitioner, engaging in the practice in Tennessee and Mississippi for many years. Having accumulated a comfortable competency he is now living retired. Having been long a prominent and influential Democrat in his locality he was in 1906 elected deputy sheriff of his county, and was also elected a representative to the state legislature in Mississippi, serving one term of two years in a highly creditable and satisfactory manner. During the war between the states he enlisted in the Confederate army and was promoted from time to time for his gallantry and merit until he became captain of his company and served all through the war, taking part in many important engagements. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order. He is a fine type of the Southern gentleman of the old school, and his descendants may well be proud of his record as a soldier, physician, public servant and citizen. His family consisted of nine children, all still living but one, namely: J. B. of this sketch; Maggie Belle, Rosa, Mary, Willie, Sallie, Haywood, Mrs. Catherine Lee, and one who died in infancy.
J. B. Ruffin grew to manhood in the South and he received his early education in the common schools in Mississippi, also attended high school. He began his active life by selling goods, later going into the live stock business, paying particular attention to race horses, and he has owned a large number of fine ones, with excellent records. He engaged in farming and stock raising in Tipton county, Tennessee, for some time and his operations met with gratifying results. He remained there until 1906 when he came to Missouri and located in Aurora where he engaged in the livery business on a large scale, which he followed until 1912 when he came to Springfield, and continued the same line of business, his present location being at 310 Boonville street, where he has a large and modernly equipped barn, keeping some of the finest horses and buggies in the city, and maintains a boarding stable in connection, everything being first-class, and promptness and uniform courtesy, are watchwords with him. He is enjoying a large and rapidly growing patronage.
Mr. Ruffin was married in February, 1892, in Tipton county, Tennessee, to Mamie J. Culbreath, who was born in that county and state on October 28, 1873, and she was reared and educated there. She is a daughter of J. Clark and Sallie (Cockrell) Culbreath, natives of western Tennessee, where they grew up, were educated and. married. Her father served all through the Civil war in the Confederate army.
Four children have been born to our subject and wife, namely: James is now a student in Drury College; J. B., Jr., is attending the Springfield high school; Josephine and Clark are both in the ward schools.
Politically, Mr. Ruffin is a Democrat. He is a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Loyal Order of Moose. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, South. He and his wife have made many friends since locating in
Springfield.
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