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Public historian Sara Jane Ruggles is a collector, preserver of memories

by DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer | April 23, 2020 1:00 AM

Public historian Sara Jane Ruggles is a collector, preserver of memories

Every person, every place, has a story. And every story needs a voice.

Public historian Sara Jane Ruggles has made it her life's work to help people find the voices to tell their stories, and preserve those stories.

"Empowering someone to take the care in preserving their story or their family’s stories for their future generations is the gift I can bestow on my fellow man,” said Ruggles, 32, of Coeur d’Alene.

Ruggles was born in Sacramento, the descendant of a California Gold Rush '49er and member of the fifth generation of her family to live in the Golden State. She moved to North Idaho in 1995 and attended Winton Elementary and Lakes Middle schools, graduating from Lake City High in 2006. She also dual-enrolled at North Idaho College while in high school. She attended Boise State University from 2006 to 2010 and graduated with a bachelor’s in history and a minor in classical Latin literature.

In 2008, Ruggles studied abroad in the little medieval Italian town of Viterbo just north of Rome, where she translated Latin texts and studied archaeological digs.

"The thing that really astounded me about the Italians was how they completely take pride in preserving the history that’s around them," she said. "It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but when I was there, I was feeling, 'Why do I need to search elsewhere for history to sink my teeth into?'"

Her heart called her home to North Idaho, where she soon discovered her calling.

"My grandfather passed away," she said. "He was one of my absolute best friends. That was completely devastating to me. I’d listen to his stories, I knew every story, I took his advice, I called him all the time and when he was gone, I realized, 'Oh my gosh, it's up to me now. How am I supposed to remember all those stories?'

"I didn't have his laugh, his cough, the inflection of his voice,” she continued. "It killed me. I thought, 'I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.' That really inspired me to say, 'I need to capture my other grandfather’s history.'"

Without any interviewing knowledge, she decided to record her Grandpa Buster's oral history.

"He was an old cowboy. He grew up with cowboy in his blood,” she said.

After about 15 minutes of one-word answers and hesitation, she broke through to him and he shared his memories of friends, rodeos and growing up in the old days.

"He would tell me incredible stories, one about pulling a hair out of Roy Rogers’ horse's tail one time,” she said with a giggle.

The Christmas after Grandpa Buster died, Ruggles was able to give her family the most significant gift of all — the gift of his voice.

"I really can't stress how incredible that Christmas was. It gives me goose bumps to look back on it," she said. "It was three generations of family in the room and every one of them came into the room and listened to Grandpa. It was so cool just knowing it was a gift I could give my family. I can't sew. I can’t build a house. I'm not a super resourceful person, but this was what I could give."

This experience inspired her to continue her education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she graduated in 2019 with a master’s in public history. She started her own business as an independent contractor, offering services such as oral history digital recording and preservation, transcription, digital memoirs, family history books and more.

"Public historians also disseminate the information to the public, doing digital history projects, anything that brings our collective history together and shares it with each other," she said. "We’re studying history outside of academia and we’re enriching each other through collecting and sharing it."

She has also been working with Auburn Crest Hospice in Coeur d'Alene to help preserve the stories of patients as a gift to their families.

"This is an effort, not only to preserve the stories of their patients, but also create a lasting memory for families who are preparing to enter into the stages of grief by preserving a piece of their loved one’s story as a heartfelt comfort to them as they move forward," she said.

Ruggles will begin teaching a U.S. history course as an adjunct professor in the fall of 2020 at North Idaho College. She will also be writing columns for The Press.

“I will be sharing some tips and writing exercises to help people preserve their own unique story in their own unique way,” she said.

It can be intimidating to undergo these sessions, Ruggles said, but it all starts with hitting the record button.

Info: www.sarajaneruggles.com

photo

These four generations of Janes are a source of inspiration for Sara Jane Ruggles’ love of preserving family legacies. Pictured here are her grandmother, Jane Morse (center right), her mother, Sandra “Samm” Jane Haight (right), Ruggles (left center) and her daughter, Emmeline Jane Ruggles. The photo was taken at the 150-year celebration of the Morse Family ranch in Elk Grove, Calif. in 2016.