Brookdale at Summer Ridge prepares to celebrate resident’s 105th birthday

ROCKWALL, TX (Oct. 26, 2022) Born October 28, 1917, Joyce Alene Preskitt Ruminer will be celebrated this Friday at Brookdale at Summer Ridge, the retirement and assisted living community where she resides. Senator Bob Hall is preparing a proclamation in her honor, and there will be birthday cake, balloons, and plenty of fanfare for this milestone celebration.

Joyce was born in Norman, Oklahoma to Baaney V. Preskitt and May Elizabeth (Blackburn) Preskitt. She had one brother. She married Ralph Austin Ruminer in 1937 and enjoyed 62 years of marriage before her husband passed. They had two children – Joyce and Judy – and she now has four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, six great-great grandchildren, and 1 ¾ great-great-great grandchildren (one due to be born any day!)

Joyce was a stay-at-home mom until her children were in school. Her first “adult” job was as a secretary at an elementary school in Wichita Falls. Upon retiring from the school district, she held several secretarial positions from Wichita Falls to the Dallas area. Notably, she worked for Betty Graham, the founder of Liquid Paper, in a small garage when the product was just being developed. She served as Betty’s senior accounting for 20 years before finally retiring. They were housed at one point in the most modern building in Dallas (at Greenville and I-30, which still stands today, as a post office.

In the 1950s, Joyce invented a “petticoat dryer” – a wooden frame shaped like an umbrella. It would hold a crinoline petticoat while drying, to keep it full and pretty. She was featured on the front page of Paul’s Valley Gazette.

As Joyce matured in years, she continued to drive. It made her daughters nervous, and they kept asking her to stop. Joyce finally said that if they would let her, she would stop driving at 97. She made it to 97 without incident! And she hung up her keys.

Joyce has led a full and happy life, which included painting – and several of her art pieces are hanging still today.

In the past, she and many of her family members would go on cruises together, everywhere! She loved creating memories with her large family. She says her greatest honor in life is holding the title of grandmother. Nothing tops the time spent with her grands; her greats; her great-greats; and now even great-great-great grandchildren.