Adam (Johannes Adamus) RUCH, son of Melchoir RUCH and Maria was born in Zutzendorf, a small village in the Northern Alsace Region of France in December of 1688. He was a shepherd and spent his life in one relatively small area of the Northern Alsace which included the place of his birth.

In 1712 he married Anna Maria STRIGEL. The marriage probably occurred at Uhrwiller, the home of her father. Anna Maria STRIGEL was born in 1680.

Adam and Anna Maria lived at Pfaffenhoffen from about 1715.

In 1724, at the time of the marriage of daughter Anna Margaretha, Adam was recorded in the church record as "a Shepherd at Sultzbach".

By 1741 he was a tenant of the manorial sheep-farm at Gumbrechtshoffen. He apparently remained there through about 1760.

Anna Maria died in 1755 while in her mid-seventies in Langensoultzbach, Northern Alsace, (now part of France). She died tragically when she froze to death on a country lane near her home. She left a daughter and two sons (it is not clear whether all were by Hans Adam).

Adam and Anna Maria had the following children:

1. Anna Margaretha RUCH was born in Northern Alsace (now France) about 1713. On January 11, 1724 in Langensoultzbach, Northern Alsace, (now part of France) she married Michael (Hans Michael) HAUDENSCHILD, son of Diebold, at the Langensoultzbach Church.

The marriage record shows that "Hans Michael Haudenschild" was a shepherd at the northern Alsatian village of Niederbronn.

He and Anna Margaretha must have remained in this general area until at least 1745 for we know that eight of their children were baptized within this time period at the Langensoulzbach Lutheran Church located nearby.

Their children were: Johann George (1724/25-1727), Eva Elizabeth (1726/27 - 1727), Johann Michael (b. 1728/29), Joh. Henrich (b. 1731/32), Joh. Jacob (b. 1735/36), Maria Barbara (b. 1742), and Hans Diebold (b. 1745).

Anna Margaretha & Michael brought their family to America on the Ship "Dragon", arriving on 17 Oct 1749

2. Philip Jacob RUCH was born in Gumbrechtshoffen, Northern Alsace (now France) about 1715. He became a Shepherd on the sheep-farm of the Lord of Gumbrechtshoffen.

In 1741 he married Anna Barbara BENE. Her father, Melchior BENE, was the magistrate at Griesbach. She certainly did live there with her parents and it may well have been her birthplace.

Philip and Anna Barbara apparently had ten children, one was Philip Georg, born on May 5, 1757. They moved from Gumbrechtshoffen to Longensoultzbach about 1761. Sometime after 1773 they may have lived at Niederbronn. These are all relatively small villages in the Northern Alsace area.
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