Verbatim, Ruth Grady

Ruth Grady was born Nov. 18, 1910. If you're keeping score, that's 100 years ago last week, and so her friends at Sequim Health and Rehabilitation Center threw her a big party. "It was outstanding," she said. "I was flabbergasted. Everybody came."

Grady says there were "so many special days" in her long life. She has particularly vibrant memories of the World War II years, when her husband Leslie was often away. Then she recalled one day in particular, a homecoming that was especially memorable for Grady and for her three little girls.

_My husband was in the service - the maritime service.

That was a bad day when he left that first time. His uncle was on the same ship. His aunt told me the ship they were on was filled with bombs and explosives. I just cried.

He was gone a lot. I became very independent. I had to. But it was hard.

(One time) he had been gone for six months. I didn't know it, but he was coming back home. He just showed up at the back door.

And it was pandemonium. He and I were hugging and hugging.

Finally Judy (who was then 7) said, 'Stop hugging him and let us hug him.'

They were so excited to see him. They just wanted to get hold of him.

When he came home we had so much fun. But then he'd go away._