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Happy Birthday, Ruth Dreibelbis!

Inn resident celebrates 105 years
Ruth Dreibelbis and son, Galen Dreibelbis celebrate Ruth’s 105th birthday at The Inn!
Born September 1, 1906, near Pleasant Gap, PA, Inn resident Ruth Dreibelbis lived the first 17 years of her life without electricity, on a farm her family rented by the current Radio Park Elementary; attended a one-room school near what is now the intersection of Blue Course Drive and Circleville Road; and has lived all but five of her 105 years right here in Centre County. RIGHT: Ruth Dreibelbis and her son, Galen Dreibelbis with Ruth's birthday cake
 
Born Ruth Herman in Spring Township—where she resided until 1920 when the Herman family moved to Ferguson Township—Ruth attended State College area schools, including a one-room school house. Apart from five years when she lived in Westmoreland County, Centre County has been her home base.

Ruth’s late husband, Bruce Dreibelbis–as luck would have it–was born and raised on a nearby 210-acre dairy farm in what is now Tudek Park.
 
“I met the neighbor boy, and I stayed,” she said.
 
Ruth worked as a switchboard operator at Penn State for 22 years, where she spoke to President Dwight Eisenhower several times while Eisenhower’s brother, Milton, was president of the university.
Ruth Dreibelbis at her 105th birthday party at The Inn at Brookline
After retirement, she volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Mount Nittany Medical Center, then Centre Community Hospital. LEFT: Ruth Dreibelbis celebrates her 105th birthday with a party at The Inn at Brookline

Bruce and Ruth?s five children were born and raised on the family farm, which township officials converted into a farm museum, utilizing the original farm house structure. Ruth, however, lived in a newer house on the property until about 12 years ago and still keeps a home there.
 
Today she has 22 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren, and notes that she probably could list each of them and their birthdays.
 
This September, along with her son, Galen, and friends, community members, and residents and staff of The Inn, Ruth celebrated her birthday in style with a cake and well wishes from all.
 
Galen said she keeps busy at The Inn by reading magazines and visiting with friends, and enjoys the variety of scheduled activities that Brookline offers.
 
She is in good health and has excellent memory, he said, ?She?s very happy.?
 
And while Ruth says that she?s not quite sure how she?s managed to live this long?her mother lived to be 100?she says that she ?guesses? that she attributes her longevity to leading an active life on a farm, volunteering in the community and quality time with family and friends; oh, and eating only meals made from the produce, grains and meats that her family harvested.
 
Sounds like a recipe for success to us!