The Rusen Family of Jefferson County, Ohio

The Rusen Family was first in Jefferson County around 1904.  Michael, Mary, Ella and 1 other Rusen are buried in Smithfield Cemetery.  This is an account of the research I have found in the past few years. It is in no way expected to be totally accurate.  It is only research I have personally accumulated.  Any help anyone can provide with this family is greatly appreciated!! I have little information and would welcome any and all help...

Contributed by Stephanie Ebel

Michael Rusen was born about 1864 in or near Northern Czechoslovakia or Bohemia.  He married Mary Ballini/Balante/Baleni  who was born August 25, 1891 in Czechoslovakia or Bohemia.  However, when I was younger I recall my grandmother telling of how Michael and Mary had met on the boat coming over to America and married as soon as they arrived here or on the way to America on the boat they came on.  I have so far been unable to find the date of their marriage or the place it occurred.   I also know that Michael never re-married after Mary's death in 1909.  According to my grandmother (their daughter) Michael blamed God for Mary's death during childbirth and was very bitter to the world and particularly bitter toward God.  When Mary died she left behind 9 living children ranging in ages from 1 to 19.  Michael raised the children alone.  My grandmother married at the age of 15.  I don't have alot of information on her husband so any help with the Whitehair surname in WV is also appreciated!!  

I can document the fact that Michael Rusen owned land (160 acres) in Taylor County, WI in 1889. Census documents I have about my grandmother also record their presence in Jefferson County by early 1900.   I also have family stories that tell about the younger boys playing with the Indian children when they were little.  The Indians would take their marbles and curl them up in their toes and keep them.  The family stories that I was told were that these incidents occurred in New Mexico or Arizona yet the only land records I find on Michael is in Wisconsin.  Michael and Mary were supposed to have had a ranch which did not prosper because of dry conditions and dust storms which prevented them from farming.  They then returned to somewhere in PA and eventually ended up in Jefferson County. They supposedly had a large farm in Bradley which Michael sold in 1941.  

Another interesting story surrounds Michaels death.  Supposedly, an obituary and/or article exists about his death but I have been unable to find them.  Michael sold the farm and was seen in neighborhood bars the evening the sale was finalized. He left these establishments to return home on foot and was never seen again.   His body was found two weeks later in Austin Dam.  According to my grandmother all of the money from the sale of the farm disappeared and was never recovered.  

The Rusen's were coal miners, farmers, and ran a store (my grandmother told me this was located in the Bradley/Dillonvale area).  She told me she was born in Bradley, which today conisists of nothing more than a little circle.  According to her, the Rusens were eventually blacklisted from the coal mines because of their stand on forming a union and standing up for the rights of coal miners.  They eventually went on to the steel industry where they helped form unions and Paul Rusen became one of the founding directors of the one of the steel unions in Pittsburgh. 

Here is the family chart of the Rusens as I know it:

Descendants of MICHAEL RUSEN

Generation No. 1

1. MICHAEL RUSEN was born 1864 in Northern CZECH/BOHEMIA, and died 1941 in Smithfield, OH/ Drowned in Austin Dam

2. He married MARY BALINI, BALLINY, BALLANTE?? 1. She was born 1870 in Northern Czech? Bohemia?, and died December 27, 1909 in BRADLEY, OH/JEFFERSON CO..

LAND RECORD FOR MICHAEL RUSEN FOUND IN WISC. DATED 3/14/1889. TAYLOR

COUNTY. 160 ACRES #WI0340-.492. NW-SW SECTION 29.

Notes for MARY BALINI, BALLINY, BALLANTE??:

DIED IN CHILDBIRTH.

Burial: BURIED SMITHFIELD, OHIO

Cause of Death: CHILDBIRTH COMPLICATIONS

Children of MICHAEL RUSEN and MARY BALINI, BALLINY, BALLANTE are:

2. i. MICHAEL RUSEN, b. March 25, 1890, MINERSVILLE, PA; d. November 20, 1962, BELLAIRE OHIO.

ii. MARY RUSEN, b. August 25, 1891; d. August 1891, CARNEGIE, PA.

Cause of Death: DIED AT BIRTH

3. iii. JOHN RUSEN, b. Abt. 1893, Carnegie , PA or Bradley, OH; d. May 05, 1971, SUFFOLK CITY VIRGINIA.

iv. ANNIE RUSEN, b. November 18, 1894; d. November 1894, NEW MEXICO.

Burial: NEW MEXICO?

Cause of Death: DIED AT BIRTH

v. ANDREW RUSEN, b. January 29, 1896, STANDARD, PA; d. October 28, 1949, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO/ Car Accident; m. PEARL L. UNKNOWN b. 1891; d. September 03, 1961, Warren, Trumbull County, OH.

Burial: YOUNGSTOWN, LAKE PARK CEM.

Cause of Death: TRAFFIC ACCIDENT

Comment 1: Married Mrs. Pearl. No children.

4. vi. PAUL D. RUSEN, b. November 01, 1897, PA or OH; d. April 1970, BLOOMINGDALE, OHIO.

5. vii. NICHOLAS RUSEN, b. October 11, 1899; d. June 1973, STEUBENVILLE OR WINTERSVILLE.

viii. MARY RUSEN, b. March 26, 1901; d. ALL DEATH DETAILS UNKNOWN; m. JOHN EARNEST BAKER

ELLA RUSEN7, b. November 23, 1902, Coulters, PA; d. 1997, Steubenville, Jefferson Co, OH; m. JOSEPH HUGGINS

Burial: Smithfield Cemetary

Occupation: ELLA AND HER HUSBAND LIVED IN STEUBENVILLE

x. KATIE RUSEN, b. October 18, 1904, Bradley, Jefferson Co, OH; d. October 1904, BRADLEY, OHIO.

xi. ANNIE RUSEN, b. January 13, 1906; d. UNK/PROB. PA.; m. (1) JACK MOYER possibly another marriage also.  

6. xii. JULIA RUSEN, b. February 14, 1907, BRADLEY, JEFFERSON CO, OH; d. April 27, 1995, Akron, Ohio.

KATIE RUSEN, b. September 23, 1908, Bradley, Jefferson Co, OH; d. CARNEGIE, PA/ CARNEGIE INSTITUTE burial place unknown.

Generation No. 2

2. MICHAEL2 RUSEN (MICHAEL) was born March 25, 1890 in MINERSVILLE, PA, and died November 20, 1962 in BELLAIRE OHIO. He married MARIE PEZEL.

Children of MICHAEL RUSEN and MARIE PEZEL are:

i. LAURA RUSEN12, d. 1998.

7. ii. TEDDY RUSEN, b. March 31, 1917; d. December 28, 1993.

8. iii. WOODROW RUSEN.

DANIEL RUSEN, b. July 22, 1914; d. September 08, 1996.

3. JOHN RUSEN born Abt. 1893 in Carnegie , PA or Bradley, OH, and died May 05, 1971 in SUFFOLK CITY VIRGINIA. He married MARY JOSEPHINE KNIGHT12 June 10, 1921 in Pittsburgh, PA, daughter of PATRICK KNIGHT and JOANNA HICKEY. She was born March 10, 1892 in Pittsburg, PA, and died May 10, 1982 in Suffolk, VA.

Children of JOHN RUSEN and MARY KNIGHT are:

9. i. MARY JACQUELYN RUSEN,

ii. BETTYANNE RUSEN, m. PHILIP BARRINGER

10. iii. JOAN PATRICIA RUSEN.

4. PAUL D. RUSEN (MICHAEL) was born November 01, 1897 in PA or OH, and died April 1970 in BLOOMINGDALE, OHIO. He married ELIZABETH RILEY.

Children of PAUL RUSEN and ELIZABETH RILEY are:

11. i. PAUL RUSEN, JR..

ii. BOB RUSEN,

iii. MARSHALL RUSEN, m. GLENDA RUSEN

iv. RUTH RUSEN, b. Private.

12. v. CARL RUSEN.

5. NICHOLAS RUSEN was born October 11, 189919, and died June 1973 in STEUBENVILLE OR WINTERSVILLE. He married (1) MARY KOPCHA 1921. He married (2) RUTH UNKNOWN.

Children of NICHOLAS RUSEN and MARY KOPCHA are:

i. DOROTHY RUSEN.

ii. PAUL RUSEN.

iii. JOHN RUSEN.

13. iv. THEODORE RUSEN, b. March 17, 1923.

6. JULIA RUSEN (my grandmother) was born February 14, 1907 in BRADLEY, JEFFERSON CO, OH, and died April 27, 1995 in Akron, Ohio25. She married (1) HARRY PAUL WHITEHAIR, son of ADOLPHUS WHITEHAIR and IDA CRAYTON. He was born April 27, 1899 in WALKER, LEWIS CO, WV, and died July 18, 1966 in WOOSTER, OHIO. She also married GEORGE WENNER.

Children of JULIA RUSEN and HARRY WHITEHAIR are:

14. i. BETTY BLANCHE CARLSON WHITEHAIR (my mother), b. October 23, 1924.

ii. ROBERT WHITEHAIR/WHITEHEAD, b. May 1925; d. AKRON, OHIO.

iii. HARRY DALE WHITEHAIR, b. 1928.

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