Dear
Friends,
Good morning. Today we look at
Sellersville 50 years ago through the eyes of two Bucks County Court of Common
Pleas Judges, William Hart Rufe
Not only does Sellersville play an
important part of their lives but so does Lafayette College. The three sons are
grads as are three of four of Hart’s children. Their father, William, was
Sellersville’s Postmaster and their mother, Frances, taught in the local
schools. She was bilingual…English and Pennsylvania German.
Hart graduated from Sell-Perk High
School (before the Pennridge school district was created. Look at how the
population grew. Hart’s class of 1950 numbered 73. Seven years later, John
graduated with a class of 170 from Pennridge and Bob had 270 in his (’63).
Hart recalled the Liberty Bell
Trolley and rode it both ways to Allentown and Norristown. It must have been a
thrill to roar down Cemetery Hill…under the Reading Railroad bridge into
Perkasie, just before the Sellersville station. “I remember riding the Reading
to see [Philadelphia] A’s and Phillies games,” Hart began. “We always took in double
headers…that was how to get our money’s worth.”
“I remember the summer days at the
playground,” his brother, John, told me. “Each day, I’d walk by the [Walter
Emerson] Baum house on the way home.” John thought it was unusual to see the
famous artist painting winter scenes on hot, humid days.
The Sellersville playground [a few
blocks from the Washington House] was the key to summer activity for the Rufes
and all the town’s children. “Earl Druckenmiller ran the play ground,” Hart
continued. “Earl owned ponies and a stable. We had pony rides every day.
“Lindy” was our favorite pony. We played baseball, tennis, and swam in the
pool. Earl arranged pick up games for us with teams from Perkasie, Lansdale and
Hatfield.”
It was in scouts that Hart became a
birder. Ralph Waite was his scoutmaster and a birder. “We two were the only
birders that we knew,” Hart added. “In the spring during migration, every
morning at 6:30 we’d watch birds in the parks. Once we counted 15 species of
warblers in 90 minutes. Today, maybe we’ll see 15 species of Warblers in a
weekend.” Hart’s wife, Jewel, is a birder also. “I’ve kept a life list [of
birds],” he said. “I’ve seen 754 different birds in North America…over 2,000
world wide.”
After 17 years on the Bucks bench,
Hart retired. “His last official act was marrying my wife Cynthia and me,” John
said. Today, Hart is a mediator and Senior Judge in Lehigh and Northampton
Counties.
It’s natural that his love of open space steered him
toward the Heritage Conservancy where he is its Chairman, having served on its
board from 1974 to the present.
John was a photographer for the News Herald in his
senior year at Pennridge. “I was sports oriented,” he said. “I remember John
Landy and Roger Bannister breaking the four minute mile in the same race [won
by Bannister]…it was perceived to be an impenetrable barrier. Landy led the
entire way, but Bannister won with his famous finishing kick (3:58.8).” What a
memory, John!
It pays dividends to have judges in the family. When
their niece, Jill Jackson, was married, three Judge Rufes performed the
ceremony: Hart, John, and John’s wife [Cynthia] a federal judge.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith
(Please add where readers can reach me)