The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-07
ALABAMA GIRL
BECOMES SISTER OF CHARITY

FROM friend comes the MESA &c
! that Miss Ellen Randolph Ruffin.
daughter of Mrs. NJ. y. Henry Ituffin.
the well known southern writer. was
received recently into the order of the
sisters of Charity at the Mother House.
Emmitsburs. following closely the ex-
ample of her sister, Miss Mary Henry
Ruffin who last summer became a Sis
ter of Charity Miss Mary Henry Ruff
fin is now Sister Mary and is teaching
at st. Aloysius school, Littlestown, Pa.
Miss Ellen Randolph. now known as
Sister Rita, has been assigned to duty
at st. Johns school. Baltimore. In their
home city of Mobile the residence of
their mother, these young women were
popular socially and while many friends
congratulate them upon their noble
choice. great regret is felt at their de-
parture. Nellie" Ruffin, as she was
happily known among her friends was
only a few months out of college. hav-
ing graduated with the degree of Bach
elor OF Arts in June. 1912. She had
been already entered as Daughter of
the American Revolution, having been
before going to college a charter mem
Der and officer in the Virginia Dare
chapter. Children of the American
Revolution She was also n charter
member and secretary of the Mobile
Bay chapter Children of the Confeder-
acy. Five months after graduation she
left Mobile to enter the novitiate at
Emmits burg.
Miss Ruffin's father. the late Frank
G. Ruffin, Jr,. of Richmond, Va was
widely connected throughout his native
state, being related to many families of
prominence in the Old Dominion. His
ancestors were among the first James
town settlers and when Nellie" Ruffin
entered the Daughters Of the Amer ear
Revolution it was found that she had
more than a score of revolutionary and
colonial ancestors to her credit She is
a direct descendant of John jefferson
of Mount Snowdon in Wales who rep
resented Flowerdieu Hundred in the
jamestown convention OF 1919. the first
American congress, and she is the
great great granddaughter of
| Thomas Jefferson. Among her ancea-
tors are Gov. Thomas Mann Randolph
of Tuckahoe, who married Martha JEFF
ferson, Governor Nicholas and Gov.
John Page, Colonel Archibald Iron
Cary, so called from his having given
the iron roof OF his manor house to
make bullets for the soldiers: Ishani
Randolph. adiutant general OF Virginia
Edmund Randolph, speaker of the Com
tinental congress-; General Starke of
South Carolina and CAPT. Francis Gill
dart, who, after the revolution, was
appointed territorial governor of Mis-
sissippi and whose wife was daughter
| of Lord Fairfax; Edmund Ruffin, who
| fired the first gun in the civil war
Gen. George w. Randolph, secretary of
war of the Confederacy, and T,r w. c.
| n. Randolph Proctor of the University
of Virginia. We're great uncles.
| Among Miss Ruffin's relatives of the
present day are Mrs Burton Harr' son
and Mr.. Fairfax Harrison of New York,
| Hon Thomas Jefferson Coolidge late
minister TO France. ana Mr.. John Ran
dolph Coolidge and the eminent scient-
! list Abbot Lawrence Rotch OF Boston
/ Gel Jefferson Randolrh Kean Of the
war department at WASHINGTON and
Mr.. Hollins y Randolph, a prominent
attorney Of Atlanta. Her grandfather
| was Col. Frank G. Ruffin of Richmond,
| for many years state auditor OF vir-
gjnia.
Miss Ruffins maternal grandfather