Person:Ruth Jackson (39)

Article published in the News-Sun, Sun City, Arizona, July 2, 1976:. (The corner of the title of the article is torn off.)

The title of the article reads,”….round town founder in search for ancestors” Ruth Jackson Fisli’s great-great-great-great-grandfather founded Rockaway, N.J. in 1731.

Mrs. Fisli, 9414 Hidden Valley Cir., discovered her ancestor when she began studying genealogy in 1972. She is a charter member of the Sun City Genealogical Society.

When Joseph Jackson settled in Rockaway, he lived in a log cabin by the Rockaway River. The “Rockawack” Indian tribe still inhabited the area.

Joseph was one of the pioneers of the iron industry there. He had 11 children, one of whom, Stephen, was a Revolutionary War leader.

Stephen helped to organize the Association of Whigs in 1776, obtaining 177 signatures to support the Continental and Provincial Congress. Gen. George Washington visited Stephen’s house, now a Sacred Heart Convent.

Stephen heard Washington take the first Presidential oath of office and give the first inaugural address.

Mrs. Fisli, a descendant of Stephen’s brother, Edward, has a book, “Rockaway Borough-A History,” which tells about her ancestors’ lives and accomplishments. THE BOOK was published last year by the Borough Bicentennial Committee as a Bicentennial Project.

Born in Stockland, Ill., Mrs. Fisli has never visited Rockaway Borough and has no burning desire to see it. Few, if any Jacksons live there anymore. “Evidently they had too many daughters,” she said.

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Ruth’s obit published in the Arizona Republic on 14 April 1987 Ruth J. Fisli, 81, of Sun City, a librarian for 37 year for the Chicago Public Schools, died April 12, 1987, at Boswell Memorial Hospital. She was born in Illinois. Survivors include a sister, Grace C. Harkless; and brother, Fred S. Jackson. Sunland Mortuary made private arrangements.

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Another obit for Ruth published B-6 of the Phoenix Gazette, 13 April 1987 Fisli: Private services were arranged for Ruth J. Fisli, 81, a former Chicago Public School System librarian, who died April 12 in a Valley hospital. The Sun City resident moved to Arizona from her native Illinois and had attended the University of Illinois and Know College. She was a member of the Sun City Genealogical Society and a volunteer for the Sun City library. She is survived by a brother, Fred Jackson, and a sister, Grace Harkless.

1. ↑ Ohio, Warren County Ohio Genealogical Society Records Room-Library.

   Contributed by Ruth J. Fisli, 9414 Hidden Valley Circle, Sun City, AZ 85351.

2.   Obituary.