"Sonny" Lawrence Fredrick Ruff, of Holyoke, Colorado and longtime resident of Logan, Kansas, passed away Sunday, November 22, 2020, at the Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke, Colorado.

"Sonny" was born on March 5, 1936, at the family home to Herman Richard Ruff and Jenny Matilda Gottbreth Ruff.  He was raised in Logan Kansas and spent many an hour on the Solomon river and fishing at the Logan Lake.  He worked at the family blacksmith shop, the Ruff Garage and Logan Movie Theater.  He delivered Ice from the Phillipsburg Ice House to Logan and then delivered it around town.  After graduation from Logan High School, Jenny and Richard put him on the Train to Kansas City to learn to be a mechanic.  He worked at the Burlesque and helped out at a dairy out east of town.  He really enjoyed going just down the street to the cafeteria and where he could get pancakes and sausages for $.05.  He graduated from mechanics school and came back to Logan.  He worked in Stockton at the Walter Motor Garage as a mechanic for them.   In 1956, he met and then married Ruby Ilene Shockley at the St Peter's Lutheran Church in Logan.  Love for Sonny and Ruby was a very short 6 month courtship.  It was literally Love at first site.  In the summer of 1957, Sonny was inducted into the US Army and was transferred to Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.  He Served as a supply clerk and enjoyed it very much.  In 1958 Sheila Denise was born on the Fort Carson Army Base.  In 1962, Sonny and Ruby moved back to Logan and Sonny took over the Ruff Welding Shop, after the untimely death of his father, Richard.  After a very short time, the City of Logan asked him if he would join the Logan Fire Department as a volunteer.  It was not long before he was asked to take over the department as chief.  In the summer, Richard Lawrence was born at the Hospital in Phillipsburg.  Sonny worked as a self-employed blacksmith, in the Oil Field with City Service, the Tamko Shingle Factory and many numerous drilling companies in the area but his great love was service to the community as a Volunteer Fireman.  He served for 58 years on the Logan Fire Department and 50 years as the Chief and Served the State of Kansas on the Kansas State Firefighters Association board as a Northwest Kansas Trustee and as the Historian.   In 2006, Sonny was awarded the National Volunteer Fireman of the Year.   Sonny greatly enjoyed taking pictures of the family and the firemen.  He loved hunting and fishing and sharing the love of fishing to anyone who was interested.

Sonny is survived by one Sister in Law Dorothy Shockley, a Step Brother, Charley (Judy) Young and Step Sister, Vicki McKay.  By  his daughter Sheila (Paul) Gift of Holyoke, Colorado, and their children Andrea (Gary) McCallum, Christopher (Shalea) Gift, Megan (Nathan) Schwarz and Braden Gift, his son Richard (Denise) Ruff and their children Stephanie (Kyle) Carlin, Daniel (Aubrey) Ruff, Tiffany (Brian) Seeliger, Jennifer (Kalin) Ruff.  Sheil a's Grandchildren are Bennett McCallum, Shayanna Gift, Nash Gift, Remy Gift,  Vincent Schwarz, Scarlett Schwarz, Richard's Grandchildren are   Lauren Carlin, Evan Carlin,  Weston Ruff, Colton "Mouse" Ruff, Lila Seeliger, Matthew Seeliger .

Sonny was preceeded in death by his wife, Ruby (Shockley) Ruff,  his parents Jenny (Gottbreth) Ruff Young and Richard Ruff and Step father Howard Young, two sisters, Aileen Noel and Evelyn Brooks, and a Great Grandson Blye McCallum.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 27, 2020 at the Logan Christian Church, Logan, KS with Pastor Gary Rahe officiating.  Burial will follow in the Pleasant View Cemetery, Logan.  Services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page .

A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date in Holyoke, Colorado.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Logan Fire Department.

Logan Funeral Home, Logan, is in charge of arrangements.