The calendar reminder was on time today as was my sister Judy with a text messaging noting that today was our Aunt Ruth’s 100th birthday. My Mom’s oldest sister, Ruth has outlived siblings Dinah, Harvey, and Alyce (mom) while Dorothy, the youngest is living too.
Judy has heard via Facebook that Ruth’s granddaughter had entered this 100th birthday to the Today Show’s recognition shtick sponsored by Smucker’s (the Jam folks).
I eagerly checked this morning to see my Aunt’s appearance, but the last update was yesterday. After messaging my sister, she said that via Facebook, my Aunt’s granddaughter said they never got a call back after sending in the application.
All they got was a Jam Jar graphic.
That’s okay, I have Aunt Ruth’s old army footlocker.
Aunt Ruth was the only sibling of my Mom’s who went on to post-secondary education, she earned a Nursing degree (I am not sure from where). In the early 1940s she joined the Army and was based in I believe Pensacola, Florida.
I know little of her experience, she spoke a little of it the last time I saw here during a 2012 visit to Baltimore, when asked her to hold her photo when she entered, she would have been maybe 20 or 21.
I found the audio I recorded on this visit, let’s hear Ruth tell us the story
Somehow my Mom ended up being custodian of the footlocker Aunt Ruth used during her time in the Army, the lettering on top I believe reads “Ruth J. Herondorf” and maybe “Ensign RN”? That footlocker sat among the many things stored in our basement area known as “The Back Room.”
It became the thing I used each summer went I went off to summer camp, and somehow just folded into being a thing where I kept stuff. Mom had it in her garage. When she passed away in 2011, my sisters and I cleaned out the house. I wanted to keep the footlocker, and found that was the place Mom had stored all my old vinyl LPs from my teen years.
I had also adorned the inside with bumper stickers and even taped on Orioles game schedules.
I wish I knew more of my Aunt’s use of that trunk. I cannot remember if I recorded anything from that visit, but I vividly recall how alert and clear her memory was. From what Judy shares, my Aunt’s only health issues at 100 are a loss of hearing.
Happy birthday from me, Auht Ruth, even if Al Roker at al skipped ya. You are a star on the footlocker, if not the jam jar.
Featured Image: Detail of Aunt Ruth’s footlocker, now in Saskatchewan, Canada, taken today. Sometime soon, it will be added to flickr shared under CC0.
Thank you Alan for sharing some memories of aunt Ruth. I will try to find out more about her footlocker. I think she would be pleased to know you still have it. Once covid is under control, I will pay her a visit and see what she remembers. You are the keeper of so many of our family memories! ??
I just learned of Ruth’s passing, and am so sorry for your loss. Ruth and I became friends when my daughter, who was three, suffered an accident at nursery school and was taken to Mt. Sinai hospital in Baltimore. Ruth was her primary nurse, along with Elizabeth Williams. Miss Ruth and Miss Liz, as my daughter called them, were truly angels and saw to every need. Many hospital stays and sleepless nights ensued and Ruth saw to it that I was allowed to use the showers and found a sleeper chair for me to use. When I discovered I was pregnant again, Ruth and Liz went into overdrive seeing to mine and my daughter’s comfort. I kept in touch, at least yearly, for all the years (over 35) and enjoyed corresponding. Ruth and Liz always remembered my daughter’s birthday, which I think is pretty sweet. Your aunt will always be a treasured friend, and I will miss her. Thank you for sharing the memories. You are blessed to be among her family.
Hello Laura and thank you so much for finding my blog post about Aunt Ruth. It means so much to know the story of your connection to her, especially as my memory grasps for more details. I only knew she was a nurse and was devoted to her work, but what you shares much more of a dimension into who she was. It does not surprise me that she went those extra distances to care, that is what mostly I remember, that in her presence you received full attention and loving care. Yes I am blessed as are you.
With much appreciation, Alan