Centenarian

Sat., Aug. 14, 2010

Ruth Muhs

Spokane

Ruth Evelyn (Pearson) Muhs is celebrating her 100th birthday today. She was born on Aug. 14, 1910, in Spokane. She has lived in the Spokane area her entire life and currently lives in north Spokane.

Muhs met her husband, Henry Muhs, when he worked at her mother’s farm in Nine Mile Falls. They were married in 1933. He died in 1984.

Muhs and her two sisters attended North Central High School and drove from Nine Mile Falls to school each day in a Model T Ford. Later, Muhs worked as a school cook for Spokane School District 81.

Muhs credits her long and healthy life to hard work and determination in her younger years and being a “princess” in her later years. She said having an occasional beer helped too.

When asked what her most memorable moment in the past 100 years has been, Muhs mentioned the election of our first black president, Barack Obama.

Muhs has six children: Harriet Kappeler, Newark, Calif.; Helen McBride, Harvey Muhs, Dorothy Germain, Richard Muhs, all of Spokane; and Barbara Hunt of Olympia. She has 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.