The nondescript building at 605 Good Hope looked familiar, but I couldn’t place what had been in there over the years. A quick Internet search showed that for the longest time, it was Ruh’s Super Market.
Fred Lynch’s Missourian blog has a Frony photo that will show you what it looked like right after it opened in 1936. Fred has a nice summary of the history of the building and its owner, Frank C. Ruh, in his post.
Here is Mr. Ruh’s obituary from the February 13, 1959, Missourian. He died at 77, after nearly 52 years in retail business. He and G.H. Gross opened Gross and Ruh Market at the corner of Good Hope and Frederick in 1907. When Mr. Gross died in 1931, he continued operation of the business and moved to 605 Good Hope in 1936.
[Editor’s note: the obituary said Gross died in 1931; Fred’s account says 1932. It’s not uncommon for obits to be different than contemporary reporting. Obits are frequently based on memories, not research.]
1954 Ruh’s advertisement
For some reason, we never shopped at Ruh’s. I don’t know if Mother didn’t like the business or if she preferred to shop at Hirsch’s Midtown Grocery on Sprigg if we were in Haarig. This ad ran in the May 24, 1954, Missourian.
Thompson’s TV and Appliances
After Ruh’s death, Thompson’s TV and Appliances moved into 605 Good Hope in 1961. This advertisement ran in the May 17 Missourian.
VIP Industries came in 1967
VIP Industries, a sheltered workshop, moved into the facility in 1967. By 1982, a Missourian story reported, VIP employed almost 300 handicapped residents in a five-county area here, in Marble Hill and in Perryville.
I don’t know what is in the building today.
My Mom loved Ruh’s market and shopped there every other Friday when Daddy got his paycheck from the cement plant.
That looks awful! Probably used as a bar. When I was young the front was all plate glass windows. We shopped at both Ruh’s and Hirsch’s. Hirsch’s was more “upscale,” but (according to my grandmother) Ruh’s had better meat. Ruh’s was a little closer to our home on Lorimer.
Don’t you love the prices on the store’s food ads!! Good Old Days!!!
Our family shopped at Ruh’s, running a tab there (the forerunner of credit cards?). On payay, Dad would tke me with him to pay the tab & Mr. ruh would give Dad a cigar and me a sucker. My favorite thing about Ruh’s was their Broilburgers -wish I had one today, and at the old price:)!
Every Friday at least that is what I remember, my dad and mom would go to Ruh’s after he got off work and get groceries and then come home with frankfurters for supper. When cooked, the water turned red, and they were a lot thicker than hot dogs! I haven’t had one since that tasted like theirs and I have tried them at different times from different stores.
I worked in the same block as Ruhs at at one of the four Krogers in Cape at the time and Ruhs was definitely real competition!
Joe Whitright