The Ruijs family is widely spread over the Netherlands. This part of the family is living for centuries in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands. They were living in Lunteren, Bennekom, Achterberg, Rhenen and finally in Wageningen. Their occupations were mainly tobacco-planters. There was a lot of tobacco-culture in Gelderland, mainly in the Gelderse Vallei, in the 18th and 19th century. The last proof of this culture is the well-known sigar-factory Schimmelpenninck in Wageningen.

The oldest Ruijs known so far is Gijsbert Arissen (complete name Gijsbert Arissen op 't Heyvelt), born about 1650, probably in Lunteren. Another old branch is the family Rijkse, related to Ruijs by marriage between Geertruida Rijkse and Gerrit Ruijs in 1902. The oldest known Rijkse is Rijk Rijkse, born about 1725, probably in Rhenen.

A very old branch found contains the ancestors of Geertruij Jansen Schuurmans (married with Pieter van Prattenburg, 20-11-1718 in Rhenen, he is the 4th great grand father of Geertruida Rijkse). This branch goes back till Gerrit Schuirmans, born about 1360 in Ede. Geertruij is buried in the Cunera-church in Rhenen.

A very solid research was done by Willem Ruisch, he determined almost the complete genealogy of Arissen with a lot of Ruijsch and Ruisch members of the family.

 To the ahnentafel of Ruijs.