Arlington pioneer celebrates 100 years

Published 1:32 pm Saturday, September 5, 2009

ARLINGTON — Her daughter calls her a pioneer. Garden club and senior center members praise her tenacity. A recent photo of her dancing the hula in a purple muumuu says it all.

Myrtle Ruckert is 100 years old today.

On Friday, Ruckert got in her Ford and drove herself across town to a big birthday party at the Stillaguamish Senior Center. The center is a place that she and her late husband Clyde helped found and build nearly 40 years ago, and a place where she has volunteered ever since.

Wearing a periwinkle dress and corsage and surrounded by balloons, Ruckert smiled and told jokes as she accepted congratulatory hugs and introduced her great-grandsons.

Center director Jo Olson told the crowd assembled for lunch that one of the reasons for Ruckert’s longevity must be her love of hula dancing. Ruckert stepped up to the microphone to reply.

“Hula is great fun once you get into it. Oh, how much fun we’ve had,” she said looking out at her friends. “It’s been wonderful to see (the senior center) grow. It’s way beyond our expectations.”

A year ago, Ruckert promised to make it to her centennial and get through a driving test that would allow her to keep her license. No problem — she even passed parallel parking.

“I’ve still got a good memory, too,” Ruckert said.

It’s true. She remembers well the day in January 1970 when a group of Arlington folks gathered to form a senior center for the more mature people in town.

“Serving others is what we’re put here for,” Ruckert said.

Myrtle and Clyde Ruckert had settled in Arlington in the late 1930s. She worked nearly 30 years as the bookkeeper at the JCPenney store and they raised their daughter Linda on a ranch just outside of town.

“My mother set the bar high. She was a great role model as a working mother,” Linda Cardenas said. “Looking back, I’d say she was a women’s libber before her time.”

After Clyde Ruckert retired from Darigold and his job in maintenance for the Arlington School District, the Ruckerts were among those to establish the senior center. There they learned to speak Spanish and square dance with the Stilly Swingers. Myrtle, who had been to Hawaii at least five times, also brought in teachers to help seniors learn how to do native Hawaiian dances.

She and Clyde had been married more than 52 years when he passed away in1986.

On her 99th birthday, Ruckert was recognized for her 70 years with the Arlington Garden Club, for which she served as president and treasurer. The annual Myrtle Ruckert Award is presented by the garden club to Arlington residents who make contributions to the community.

“Everyone who knows Myrtle loves Myrtle,” said garden club member Gloria Carlson said a year ago. “We all want to grow up to be Myrtle Ruckert.”

At the birthday party Friday, garden club member Bea Randall presented Ruckert a lifetime membership.

“We couldn’t decide if you were an honorary member or an ornery member,” Randall said, squeezing her longtime friend. “It was unanimous for honorary, but we did discuss the other.”

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.