Grandma Ruth’s 102nd

Alexis Hinton, great granddaughter of the Rev. Willie Hinton of Osawatomie, shares a high-five with Ruth Wrench, who was celebrating 102nd birthday on Dec. 23

By Kevin Gray

At her 102nd birthday celebration Sunday after services at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Ruth Wrench of Osawatomie greeted family, friends, and joked about this being her second childhood. She was even high-fiving with some of the children, like Alexis Hinton of Olathe, after services.

Osawatomie kindergarten teacher Marilyn Cook said Grandma Ruth had been a foster grandparent in her classroom for four years. Substitute teacher Diane Gray said Wrench had been a foster grandparent in her Paola kindergarten room for 13 years. “Grandma used to get down on the floor and crawl around and whisper answers to all the kids,” Cook said. Gray said, “That’s right. She would do that in my classroom, too.”

Many of Wrench’s foster grandparent friends attended the gathering hosted by church members. TRI-KO foster grandparent Helen Webster, who has known Wrench for many years, said it was easy to remember Grandma’s birthday. “My birthday is on the Dec. 22, the day before yours. I remember being told that there was snow on the ground that day,” Webster said. Wrench replied, “When I was born in 1908, they said there was snow on the streets of Weston, Mo., that day.”

Wrench sang, “Thank you, thank you, and I love you all…” and, then, followed these words with, “…this poor tune is about as old as I am at 102 in four days.”

Her life, she said, has been guided by God. “I never forget to let you know that I love you, and that God has been so good to me in so many ways. I am so blessed to be in your midst,” she said to those assembled. “Plus, I am so lucky that you put up with me!”

Wrench asked everyone to keep her in their prayers. “Faith has allowed me to be around here and to get into trouble with the teachers and the kids,” Wrench said with another smile and laugh. “But, I am able to do this because of my strength and faith in the Lord God,” she said.

Having recently sprained her ankle, she said, she would be fine. “I’ll just keep walking along, even after I hurt my ankle again,” she said.

The Rev. Willie Hinton closed off the remarks with one final reminder to Wrench. “You just wait till you see what we have planned, when you hit 200!” he said.

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