Brother Ruck's Long Faithfulness and Appointment as Presiding Elder
Published October 15, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Brother Ruck, a member in South Africa who was baptized 57 years prior to his death, passed away at age 91. When the elders previously left the mission field, he was appointed as a presiding elder, a charge he fulfilled faithfully until his death. The elders acted as pall-bearers at his funeral, honoring his specific request.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 73, No. 11 (March 16, 1911), p. 173):
Brother Ruck, a member in South Africa, who was baptized fifty-seven years ago, passed away at the age of ninety-one. When the elders left the mission field, he was appointed as presiding elder, a charge he fulfilled faithfully until his death. The elders acted as pall-bearers at his funeral, honoring his specific request.
In Their Own Words
“Ruck.— In South Africa, January 18th, 1911, at the age of 91 years. Brother Ruck was baptised 57 years ago, and when the elders left the mission, he was made a presiding elder. He proved faithful to his charge. At the funeral services, the elders acted as pall-bearers, according to his expressed wish before he died. — Millennial Star 73:11”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), Vol. 73, No. 11 (1911). https://archive.org/details/millennialstar7311eng (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 73, No. 11 (March 16, 1911), p. 173 https://archive.org/details/millennialstar7311eng
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