~ The Advocate Asks ~

Saugus resident Ruth Robertson still loves reading, watching “Jeopardy,” doing crossword puzzles, talking to neighbors and being sociable at age 100

 

  Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we sat down with Ruth Robertson, who became Saugus’ latest Centenarian last Friday (June 7). We interviewed her that day at her apartment at Heritage Heights, where the day before the Saugus Housing Authority and residents organized a 100th birthday party for her. She was born Ruth Smith in Lynn on June 7, 1924. She lived her entire childhood in Saugus and was a 1941 graduate of Saugus High School. Ruth was an Honor Roll student who was ranked ninth academically in her class and had excellent grades – good enough to attend college. But she wanted to get married instead, to another Saugonian, Kenneth W. Robertson, who had been drafted and was expected to go overseas in World War II. They got married in 1942 when Ruth was 18. Fortunately for the couple, the war ended before Kenneth was due to be airlifted in China. After completing his tour of duty at various places in the United States, Kenneth returned with his wife to Saugus, where they raised their family – two sons and a daughter, all of them who graduated from Saugus High School. Kenneth and Ruth toured the United States and took many trips to Great Britain. In 1985, they retired to Dunedin, Fla., on the state’s west coast. “The climate, the available activities and the friendly people were just what we wanted for our retirement,” Ruth wrote in a message to classmates in a program for their 50th reunion in 1991. “Unfortunately, it didn’t last long enough, for in December, 1989 Kenny died suddenly of cancer. I will still make my home in Dunedin, where I keep active year round.” After living a decade in Florida, Ruth decided to return to her roots. Her son, Kenneth W. Robertson, Jr., died of a massive heart attack in 2005. Ruth’s two other children – John Robertson and Paula (Robertson) Cummings – both living with their families in Beverly, continue to look after her. Paula does the grocery shopping for her mother. John is active in his mom’s life, as are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ruth has a sister, Jean King, who lives in a Lynn nursing home. She will turn 99 in the fall.

  A few hours after our interview, about two dozen members of Ruth’s family gathered at the Kowloon Restaurant for a special birthday meal. When the family sang “Happy Birthday,” everybody within earshot – restaurant staff and customers – stopped what they were doing to sing “Happy Birthday” to Ruth. Highlights of this week’s interview follow.

 

Q: I heard that the residents of the Saugus Housing Authority had a surprise party for you yesterday (June 6).

A: They don’t surprise you when you’re as old as I am. See, they had this flyer done up that residents received which announced the party in the Community Room. I got a cake and lots of cards and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I love flowers and cards. We had a delicious cake from Market Basket to go with little Hoodsies and flat wooden spoons to eat the ice cream. We had the room for about an hour. And it was very nice. A lot of people came up to me to wish me “Happy Birthday.” Everybody was so nice to me.

Q: Thank you for taking some time on your birthday to do this interview. We try to interview Saugus residents before or after they celebrate their 100th birthday. Let’s start out from the beginning. Where were you born?

A: I was born at the Union Hospital in Lynn. I came right home to live in Saugus and I stayed here until I got married.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your parents, please.

A: Walter Smith and Estelle Gray Smith. My dad was 50 when he got married to my mother, who was 25. They got acquainted in GE.

Q: Where did you live in Saugus?

A: I lived in East Saugus on Willis Street. It was handy to go to church. I was baptized in the Methodist Church of East Saugus. It was handy for school. I went to the Mansfield School.

Q: How many children in your family?

A: It was my sister and I. I was born first. My sister is Jean King and she’ll be 99 in September. She lives at Abbott House in Lynn.

Q: What was it like, growing up in Saugus when you were a kid?

A: You walked to school and talked to friends. I had to walk from East Saugus to Saugus Center. Saugus High was located at Winter and Central Streets. It was a nice, easy time when we were kids. I liked all of my teachers. I loved school.

Q: Do you have any special childhood memories?

A: We had Fourth of July fireworks. They set them off at Stackpole Field. They were tremendous fireworks. We didn’t have to go to Lynn to watch them. We could watch them from our house on Willis Street

Q: You strike me as a very articulate and intelligent person. You must have been a pretty good student in school.

A: Yes. I got a double promotion when I was in the first grade. I was only in the first grade for a couple of months and they put me in the second grade. My parents paid a lot of attention to me.

Q: And you went to Saugus High. Were you an Honor Roll student?

A: Yes – Class of 1941. My sister was in the Class of 1943. I was an A student and my sister must have been one, too. We were always told to do our studies first and then play.

Q: Did you go to college?

A: I could have gone to college, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to get married. It was war time. My husband, Kenneth Robertson, was four years older than me. I wanted to get married and go with him. He was all packed up and ready to go to China. He and the other men were going to get airlifted into northern China, and then the war ended. He was thankful that he didn’t have to go. He served in the states. I followed him to Texas, the Carolinas and other places. I was 18 when I got married in 1942. I was a military wife for a few years and my husband went back to work at GE when his service duty ended. He was originally from Saugus and had graduated from Saugus High. I think he was in the Class of 1938.

Q: So you wanted to have a family.

A: I had three children: two boys and a girl. My daughter Paula lives in Beverly. My son John lives in Beverly. My son Kenneth died of a heart attack. They all went to Saugus High School and graduated. I have eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. I had a wonderful marriage and a wonderful childhood and a wonderful life. I was a very lucky lady.

Q: Well, your mind is still sharp. What do you credit to your longevity?

A: Good living: I didn’t abuse myself. My father always had a good garden. We always ate nutritious meals.

Q: Did you have a job?

A: I worked in a bank in town – the First National Bank of Boston – for four years.

Q: Were you a bank teller?

A: No. I sold stock and shares. I was in the upstairs office.

Q: So, you were key financial staff.

A: Yes. I’ve really had such a nice life and I’m very fortunate, except I’m old and rickety right now. It’s very hard to contend with when you get my age.

Q: But you still have a great mind and can carry on a great conversation. What’s your daily schedule like these days?

A: I get up when I feel like it. I talk to my kids on the phone. I eat and talk to my neighbors. I don’t crochet anymore, but I read and I have books galore. And my younger cousin, Harvey Bridges – he’s a Saugus guy; I think he’s 93 – he keeps me supplied with books.

Q: You must be a quick reader.

A: I am, if they’re good, or I will put them down. Some authors I wouldn’t give the time of day to. Most of the books I read are mysteries.

Q: What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

A: I don’t know. I’ve read so many books. I probably read three books a week. I do like books – mostly mysteries.

Q: What time do you get up?

A: I wake up at 7 and go back to bed. I get up when I feel like it. Sometimes I don’t get up till 12:30. When you live to be my age and you can’t sleep as long as you want to, what the heck is that?

Q: What time do you usually go to bed?

A: Around 9 p.m.

Q: Except when you watch night baseball games. Right? Red Sox games can go later than 9 o’clock.

A: Yeah, sometimes.

Q: Do you have somebody to come and clean your apartment?

A: Yep. No more housework. Somebody comes in once a week and changes my bed and runs the vacuum around.

Q: You still cook for yourself?

A: Yes. I get my own meals. I still do all of my cooking. I don’t make roasts, but I cook a nice nutritional meal. I have a big breakfast – Cheerios, strawberries and bananas or canned fruit. And I have a balanced supper – some protein. I like hamburger, mashed potatoes and a vegetable. No coffee – I don’t drink coffee – no caffeine. But a libation once in a while.

Q: You look pretty good for somebody who is 100.

A: I’ve always stayed active and ate well. I want to be at 120 pounds and I am at 120. I’m 5’1″. I’ve never really had a weight problem.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: Reading, of course. I read lots of books. I enjoy doing crossword puzzles, talking to my neighbors and being sociable.

Q: I guess you watch TV?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you have a favorite TV program?

A: “Jeopardy.” I hate to miss that. I get it recorded just in case I have to miss it. I love “Jeopardy.” I think Ken Jennings is doing a good job [as the host].

Q: What about the old guy that did it all those years?

A: Alex Trebek. I almost forgot about him. He did it for many years [37 years] and was very good.

Q: Are you a Red Sox fan?

A: Of course! I watch the Red Sox – but not as much as I did before, when my sister Jean and I would get together. Jean lived upstairs, and she would come down to my apartment and we would watch the game together. We would have a drink and popcorn. She could just put her bathrobe on, come down and watch the TV with me. I was the big sister. We used to have a lot of fun watching the games. It was only a year or so ago that she got sick and had to go into a nursing home. I miss her and the fun we had.

Q: Do you have a favorite player?

A: No, I like them all. I think they’re all good.

Q: Do you watch the Patriots?

A: Yes. But you don’t really know who they are with their helmets on, so you don’t get to know the players like in baseball.

Q: Were you a Tom Brady fan?

A: More or less. He took advantage of his good looks and great health to become successful.

Q: Anything still left on your “Bucket List”?

A: Not a blessed thing. I got everything. My kids take me out to eat once in a while. I think I get everything I deserve. My family is all good. They care for me.

Q: You are listed in the town’s Street List as a registered voter, a Democrat. Do you still vote?

A: Yes. I don’t go out anymore to vote. But they send me the ballot and I vote.

Q: Who was your favorite president?

A: FDR was probably the best in my time. I think he was a fair president, and I think he was the first one I voted for. Roosevelt did a very good job in trying times. I liked Jimmy Carter, too. He was a nice man and his wife was a very nice person, too. Carter was a giving man.

I always voted because my mother and father thought it was a duty for every citizen to vote. I’ve been a lifelong Democrat and have always voted Democrat.

Q: I understand that you are a former Florida resident, and you eventually left Florida and returned to Saugus

A: I lived 10 years in Florida and I loved it down there. I lived in Dunedin, on Florida’s west coast, north of Clearwater. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend a lot of that time with my husband, who died in 1989.

Q: Do you still drive?

A: I gave it up about five years ago. I worried about the winters.

Q: Do you have any heroes?

A: No. I never did

Q: Do you have any idols that you have looked up to and admired in your lifetime?

A: My husband and my father. I thought they were both great. I always looked up to them as people I really admired.

Q: As you look back on your life, what are you most proud of?

A: Just living day-to-day is an achievement. But my family is what I’m most proud of. No doubt about it. I’ve been very fortunate to have a great family. They are the most important part of my life. We’re all going out to Kowloon’s tonight for supper. All the kids are going to go. My daughter, who I spoke with earlier today, is coming down from Beverly. She’s great. She gets my groceries for me.

Q: Any advice that you want to offer to folks who want to live a long life?

A: I think everybody should mind their own business and help people when they can. Be kind and try to help people instead of hurting them. I think if everybody minded their own business, it would be a nicer world.

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