Turning 100 may be reason enough for many to adopt a slower pace of life, but not for one Pennsylvania McDonald’s employee who became a centenarian on March 3, and really has no plans to retire from the job she loves.
As for her milestone birthday? “To me, it’s just a number,” she said.
Ruthie has become well known at the popular eatery, also the site of the Big Mac Museum, for her smiles, songs, and dancing. “I became a widow when I was 50. I’ve been working ever, ever, ever since, and I like working,” she explained. “On Fridays, about 30 come and we all sing.”
Before the pandemic, Ruthie was also busy with after-work activities like dancing. She said: “I go dancing four days a week. Can’t go dancing now, there are no dances around.”
On her 100th birthday, the beloved McDonald’s employee drew huge crowds of socially-distant well-wishers, featuring balloons, cake, and an appearance from Ronald McDonald himself via television, who sang a favorite song of hers, “You Are My Sunshine.”
Ruthie’s neighbor, 29-year-old Elizabeth Jane Deslam, also organized a parade and a ceremonial ride in a fire truck for the centenarian.
“We [had] the mayor [come] to give her the key to our city,” Deslam told The Epoch Times via social media, “[and] 20 fire trucks [came] from different areas.”
Mayor Bill Hawley even declared March 3, “Ruthie Shuster Day.”
Irwin McDonald’s staff presented an overwhelmed Ruthie with a huge stack of birthday cards from around the world, a plaque, and a bobblehead. Sadly, Ruthie’s boyfriend passed away just a few weeks before her milestone birthday, yet Ruthie’s party turnout proved that love and laughter remain ever-present in her life.
