Surviving 2 World Wars, 2 pandemics: Kentucky woman celebrates her 109th birthday
A Kentucky woman who has survived two world wars, 17 American presidents, Prohibition, and is now living through her second pandemic, celebrated her 109th birthday this week.
Ruth Evelyn Harrington, a Kuttawa resident, watched a parade in her honor Wednesday as the community celebrated her 109th birthday in the best way it could amid the coronavirus pandemic. Harrington watched fire trucks, mayors, police officers and loved ones drive by her home at River’s Bend Retirement Community while she wore a protective face mask.
“She has been looking forward to this all week, so we’re thrilled to celebrate her birthday while ensuring she continues to have a long and happy life,” River’s Bend administrator Stacey Bullock said in a statement.
Harrington is originally from Tennessee, according to a news release. She was born on a farm on May 6, 1911. In 1927, she married Paul Harrington, who has since died. They had seven children together. They moved to Kentucky in the 1950s and opened Calvert Drive-In in 1953, a drive-in movie theater in Marshall County that still operates today (although the 2020 season is suspended due to COVID-19).
She has been a Kuttawa resident for nearly 70 years, according to a news release.
Harrington has eight grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren, and three great-great-great-grandchildren.
Harrington is not the oldest Kentucky resident – that’s believed to be Goldie Conn, a Prestonsburg resident who is 110 years old and will turn 111 on July 12, according to a news release.
“I don’t believe it,” Harrington said of the parade in a video shared by River’s Bend. “... It was great.”
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 8:11 AM.