Ruth Stevenson, that’s the name my great-grandmother said when a new baby girl was placed in her arms on November 24th, 1926.  It was that wonderful when my grandma was born. Now, I’ll tell you her story from that day forward.
        Grandma was a very lucky child, a great house, family and friends.  She had it all, a lovely mom and a caring father.  Grandma was able to attend Gardenville Elementary in Baltimore, at six years old, which she walked to everyday.  But, this spunky little child didn’t attend this school long, only a half-year.  Grandma and her family were moving to Columbus and that’s the new school she enrolled to.  Unfortunately, once again, she and her family moved to Hamilton where they stayed for the remainder of Grandma’s life.
        Aside from school, when Grandma had some fun time, she enjoyed playing with her Shirley Temple doll.  She also had a puppy that was a Boston terrier.  Grandma was fortunate and did not have any chores during the school year, but during the summertime, grandma was put to work!
        Grandma did not play by herself all the time. She had some extremely good friends!   Then grandma moved to Hamilton, she gained many new friendships that she had until Junior High.  At Gardenville and Columbus, Grandma still had some relationships, but they were broken after she left and moved away.
        My grandma possessed certain interests as she got older through elementary school.  Something unique that my grandma liked to do was to buy handkerchiefs with her summer chore money and ship them off to movie stars and get their autographs. “I even have Ronald Reagan’s signature when as he was a movie star, before he was president,” gloats grandma.  “I probably have about 60 autographs by now.”
        Getting back into school, grandma shared that the fashion choice they had back then was that all girls wore skirts and dresses, no pants though.  As far as uniforms went, grandma expressed that kids did have the freedom of the dress code.
        Grandma’s childhood was very interesting and it sounds like she had a lot of adventures to tell, but wait until you hear about her teenage years!  It was quite a ride!
        Grandma’s first date was when she was 15 years old.  It was with the guy across the street and the two of them went to a Halloween party at a friend’s house.  Grandma’s mom told her to be home at exactly 12 o’clock.  Grandma went to the party and came home five minutes early.  She didn’t have a key to her house, and the bad thing was that her mom had fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for my grandma to come home.  Now, Grandma was stuck outside!  Her boyfriend helped her through the basement window so she could go through the cellar door to the kitchen, but that door was locked, too!  Grandma rested in the basement until her dad came home at 2 a.m., but ended up falling asleep.  At 2, her dad came home looking for her, and got worried because she was not there.  Grandma woke and banged on the door, and her mom and dad freed her.  Her mother thought grandma had just gotten home, which is trouble for grandma.  It took her dad almost a day to get her mother under control again.  “That wasn’t a very good date!” comments grandma, “But I remembered it!”
        In 1941, when grandma was 15 years old, Pearl Harbor occurred.  Her cousin, Gloria, had a brother who was forced to fight in it.  He was killed in that war.  It was a very tragic event for grandma and her whole family.
Grandma was a very athletic girl in high school.  She played many sports such as basketball, field hockey, and volleyball.  Volleyball was her absolute favorite, and she was on the team for a few years.  She remembers traveling to different schools for tournaments.  She has always wanted to play softball, but she doesn’t think she’s tough enough.
        My grandma grew up with new inventions and many kinds of ways to make human-life easier.  Some of these things were manual typewriters and machines, radios, phonographs, Dictaphones, and grandma’s favorite, the calculator.  My grandma’s name is Ruth, which I mentioned, but she had a nickname that some of her friends and family called her.  It was Ruthie.
        Being a teen is always full of surprises, conflicts, drama, and other breathtaking experiences.  Being an adult can also have its moments.  My grandma had a few of these moments and I will now share them with you.
        My grandma’s final career was as a secretary at Shepherd Electric.  She was married shortly after she earned the job.  Her husband’s name was Arthur Derrickson.  On September 12th, 1948 at the Methodist Church of Hamilton, grandma also became a Derrickson.  For their Honeymoon, the newly weds traveled all the way to Niagra Falls in Canada.  It was quite romantic in Grandma’s words.
        Grandma had three kids.  Two girls and a boy.  Kathleen was born on March 4th, 1956.  Keith was born on August 28th, 1957.  Last, my mom, Penny was brought into the world on June 21st, 1960.  Grandma had been married seven years before she had kids, and the change was a huge deal!  When the kids were tucked in bed and sound asleep, grandma finally had some time to relax.  Sometimes, she invited some friends over and they all used to play cards on Monday nights.
In the year 1963, disaster struck!  It was grandma.  She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  She was in bed for two years, trying to get well.  When she finally had enough strength, she was released from the hospital and had to use a wheelchair to get around after that.  Grandma believes that with the help of god, she was a true miracle, the Miracle Woman!
        Today, grandma is going strong and enjoys cooking, sewing, and tending for her dogs.  She also likes to shop ‘till she drops!
My most memorable experience with my grandma was when my family went over her house for Christmas.  We ate her famous muffins and ate a fantastic dinner.  And, she got me the gift I have been longing for, a Doodle Bear!
        Out of Grandma’s whole life, her idols were her beloved parents who were always there for her.  Of course, when she when she was a child, she fantasized with movie and music stars and called them heroes.  Now, she looks up to her two parents as role models.
Grandma believes that her greatest accomplishment was to live until 75 years old and to survive with three kids!  But really, she thinks it was a remarkable achievement to have lived with her disease, Multiple Sclerosis for a fraction of her life.  She thanks god each and everyday of her life and is thankful for her great life, and her family.  “She truly is a miracle,” says mom in admiration, “and she is my role model!”