This is the house that my parents Willie and Irene Ruffin built, and that my siblings and I were raised in. They cleared the land and built the house from the ground up. At different times, we raised cows, pigs and chickens and had gardens on the side and back of the house. There is an even older aerial photo than this from when the house was being built where you can see a trailer next to the house and my parents working in the field behind it. The small pine tree closest to the house was planted there by my mother when I was born in 1968, and another smaller tree on the other side of the driveway closer to the road (obscured in this pic) was planted when my sister was born in 1975. My dad sold the house after my mom died in 1990. I had the opportunity to visit in July 2015 with my dad, husband and children and met with the owners who are the same people who bought the house from my dad in the '90s. Not much has changed about the house externally, but the owner planted additional trees in front of the house such that it can't be seen from the road. The trees that were planted commemorating my sister's and my birth are still there and tower over the house. Such memories! Thank you!

I just purchased this home in 2021. It's amazing how much the property has changed over the years.

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the aerial photo of your property. We're glad that you were able to see how much it has changed over the years! Can you tell us a bit more about what the property looked like when you first saw it in 2021? Also, have you lived in Saginaw County your whole life? We'd love to hear more about your experiences growing up in the area! Please feel free to share any other thoughts or questions you may have about Saginaw County.