Area woman’s milestone birthday is a century in the making

RANDOLPH – A Randolph woman is celebrating a long life well lived - all 100 years of it and counting.

Ruth Ellen Truby will be surrounded by family and friends as she celebrates her milestone 100th birthday next week.

When asked about the “secret” to living a long life, she said, “Don’t smoke. Don’t drink. Don’t swear. All these things.”

Good, clean living and her faith in God has seen her through all 100 years all on the same homestead about 10 miles north of Randolph.

From her chair in her home’s living room, she can point to the bedroom in which she was born on June 25, 1924, as the only child to Clayton and Mary Collier.

It was Ruth Ellen’s grandfather who originally purchased the ground from a homesteader in the amount of $11 per acre.

She rode her horse to attend a one-room country school in Randolph without electricity. Without siblings, Ruth Ellen relied on the company of her grandparents who were also living in the home. She recalls playing with her doll named “Dimples” and listening to the radio.

One of her fondest memories is attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933 and marveling at a doll house with beautiful furniture and working electric lights.

Ruth Ellen graduated as the valedictorian from Randolph High School in 1942.

She and her classmates wrote to every boy they knew who was off fighting in World War II.

She then attended Wayne State College for two years, earning her teaching certificate. It was during this time she was introduced to LaVern Truby by a mutual friend.

As couples started pairing off, Ruth Ellen found herself joined by LaVern.

“I was really glad because I got him and my friend got the other one. I lucked out,” she said with a smile.

Ruth Ellen continued to write LaVern letters every day and would live for the occasional three-minute phone call. Although LaVern couldn’t say much about what he was doing, stationed on the tropical Idonesia island of Biak as a “radio man.”

“I couldn’t wait to get them,” she said of those phone calls. “He couldn’t tell you much but at least you knew he was OK.”

Just like the two lovebirds, the phone booth where she received those sought-after calls has stood the test of time. The phone booth still hangs at Pile Hall on Wayne State’s campus.

It wasn’t long into their courtship, that Ruth Ellen received a ring and a proposal via her mailbox.

“He always told us that they were training cadets on campus which meant 300 boys on campus. That’s when dad got worried that she would be asked by someone else,” Ruth Ellen’s daughter, Nancy Travnicek said, recalling the story re-told numerous times by her father.

After graduating from Wayne State, Ruth Ellen found herself teaching fifth grade in the small town of Shelton, Neb. She enjoyed teaching and remembers her pupils being sweet to her.

Ruth Ellen fondly recalls taking her class to the river for a picnic and games.

“And people got a little upset because I kept them so late,” she said.

LaVern served with the U.S. Army for three years, three months and three days. He was in the hospital at San Francisco and Denver for six months, fighting rheumatic and Dengue fever before returning home and marrying his bride in 1945.

The Trubys settled into married life, farming in Iowa, before moving back to the Randolph area to a farm north of Ruth Ellen’s childhood homestead. She said they received five cows and five pigs through a government program and told to “make a go of it.”

In 1955, the Trubys had the opportunity to move back to the homestead place and farmed. Along with livestock and crops, five children were raised: Tom, Mary, Sylvia, Patty and Nancy.

The years passed by keeping up with the farm, the housework and the child rearing.

“I don’t know really how she did it,” Nancy said. “We milked cows and keeping clean clothes on us with no automatic washer - I don’t know how she did all that work.”

The family grew. Children grew up and got married and then came the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She now counts nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren among her many blessings including a great-grandson named Grey Michael born this year, marking 100-year difference between them.

In 2015, Lavern died at the age of 92. Ruth Ellen’s youngest daughter, Nancy, built her home nearby - also on the original homestead - and is available to assist whenever its needed.

Ruth Ellen’s hearing and vision are deteriorating with age but she finds daily joy in reading, gardening, listening to the radio and baking. She sings in the Randolph United Methodist Church choir and teaches adult Bible classes.

This weekend, Ruth Ellen will gather her loved ones - both her own family and her church family - to celebrate a birthday milestone a century in the making.

Her daughter, Nancy, will be there to help straighten her birthday tiara as Ruth Ellen reminisces with well-wishers and thanks God for a life long and well lived.