“I am a good fisherman…..If I have to brag.” Those are the words of 101 year old Ruth Flickinger. Ever since she married her late husband, an avid fisherman, she was competing with the boys in the family for the biggest fish every time they went out together. Ever the humble one, she will tell you about the 11 pound fish she once caught and how she caught 6 fish in 45 minutes on her last outing (at age 97!)
Ruth grew up in Northern Illinois in the 1920’s and her school was about 7 miles away. She would take the horse and buggy to school in the summer and the horse and sleigh to school in the winter. School was always very important to Ruth. She wound up graduating high school and going to a two-year women’s college to become a home economics teacher. She taught grades 1-8 at the little country school and served as the janitor as well, firing up the furnace every day before school.
Longevity runs in Ruth’s family. Her father lived to age 104, her brother age 100, and her grandfather lived to age 95 back in the days where that seemed nearly impossible. Like her family, Ruth keeps going and living life to the fullest. It is no wonder that now at the age of 101, Ruth wants to go fishing again. Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale were happy to be send Ruth fishing again at Swift Ponds in Fort Collins with four generations of Flickingers. Ruth was once again able to claim the family bragging rights after catching 7 fish. Sponsors Its Never 2 Late and Brookdale also joined the show!
