History of Johnny Ruth?

Imagine our surprise and delight when we discovered that our namesake had actually been a real person! Not only was Johnny Ruth real, he was a peddler of wares, including clothing and hardware...

In October, 2005 when Kim W. was thinking up names for her new clothing store she settled on Johnny Ruth because of it's playfulness, it rolled smoothly off the tongue and because she felt it represented a little of the funky side in all of us. Little did she know that the name had been used before... a long time before.

A month after the store was up and running a couple of old timers visited the store to ask if there was a connection to the original Johnny Ruth. This piqued Kim's interest and she set out to discover something about the man known as Johnny Ruth. The following comes from his daughter:

Jack Ruttgaizer, better known as Johnny Ruth, emigrated to New York from Romania at the outset of WWI. In the 1930's he traveled the Eastern Seaboard and eventually settled in this province. He peddled wares on the Humber River and in Central Newfoundland for several years. After marrying in 1940, he opened a clothing/hardware store in Millertown Junction. In the late forties, he moved with his wife and four children to Botwood where he was part owner and operator of Riff's Ltd. He continued to operate the business until his untimely death in 1967 at 67 years old. By then, he and his wife, who was twenty years his junior, had twelve children.

Johnny was greatly respected and fondly remembered throughout the region. Those who remember him, talk about his generosity to those who were less fortunate. It has often been said that "... he would give you the shirt off his back". In regard to fashion, I remember my father saying that it doesn't matter what you wear if your hair is not tidy and your shoes are not neat and clean.

We find it incredibly fitting that Johnny was a compassionate man of integrity. We also enjoy the fact that his preference was towards "quality items that were well made from natural fibers and products." There is something truly gratifying in the fact that the store and the man had similar principles even though neither had any idea about the other.

If you knew Johnny Ruth, or know someone who did, please share your stories with us, we would love to add them to what we already know. Email Us or call 709-722-7477.