This is for the genealogists in Buffalo, New York. My father was the son of Andrew and Henrietta Ruhland. They were born in Buffalo of parents who came from Germany. There are a lot of Ruhlands in the Buffalo area, a few of whom may be related distantly. My grandfather had 2 brothers that I know of--John, who moved to Detroit, and Frank, who stayed in Buffalo, married and had 2 daughters. My greatgrandfather may have had siblings, but I cannot say for sure.
The reason for this lack of knowledge is that my grandparents had a mixed marriage. By this, I mean Catholic and Protestant. In the early 1900s, this was not acceptable. After they married, they were shunned by their families and finally moved to Batavia. Eventually, relations thawed. My father told us it was Uncle Frank who kept the lines of communication open. Still, I met my Buffalo relatives only at funerals. If you would like to compare notes on Ruhlands, Millers, Ahrendts, or Bauers, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
