I was born on Barkwill Street in St. Marys to Gene and Margaret Wilson Ruckman, both of whom gave me a love for West Virginia and its beauty, people, and history. For me, St Marys and Pleasants County have always had a special place in my mind and spirit, so I reckon I simply like talking and writing about them. Several years ago, I came across some of my mother's papers which showed her family genealogy going back to the mid 1700's. Later on, through a stroke of good fortune and my younger sister Becky Boggs, I found documents which have helped determine my father's blood line. In this regard, I am reminded of Emerson's words: "Man is but the sum of his Ancestors."

James W. Ruckman, 75, passed away peacefully at his Middlebourne, residence, September 20, 2012, after a long illness.

Born in St. Marys, WV, on October 9, 1936, he was the son of the late Eugene and Margaret Wilson Ruckman. He was preceded in death by a sister Peggy (John) Barkwill, Winter Park, FL. He is survived by beloved companion Vera Henthorn and her family; daughters Suzanne (Vince) Nowell of Ft. Myers, FL and Deirdre (Allen) Appel of Gaithersburg, MD; and sister Rebecca (David) Boggs of Mt. Vernon, IN. Also surviving are 4 grandchildren, 4 nephews, a great-niece and 2 great nephews.

Jim was a graduate of the St. Marys High School Class of 1954 and also of WVU. He was a proud U.S. Marine, Vietnam era veteran, always standing by the motto "Semper Fi." In 1972, he was bestowed the governor's Distinguished West Virginian Award. He was an "admiral"¯in the Cherry River Navy. Jim was a loyal and lifetime follower of Mountaineer sports. Considering himself "the one true un-reconstructed native-born West BY GOD Virginian," he was deeply interested in the history of his family, Pleasants County, and West Virginia. As a gifted raconteur of funny stories and jokes, he was adept at making tall tales taller. Maintaining "Rockertalk"¯ on the Pleasants County GenWeb, he provided "A Rockerbilly Prayer": Give me a sense of humor, Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humor out of life, And pass it on to other folk. Jim never met a stranger, made friends easily, had a big heart and will be missed by many.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 29, 2012 at the Ingram Funeral Home, St. Marys, WV. Friends may visit at 1:00 p.m., until time of the 2:00 p.m. service.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Disabled American Veterans by visiting www.dav.org/donate or writing to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250 Attn: Gift Processing.