Former Rosie Riveter celebrates 100th birthday
CHILLICOTHE— Marguerite "Minnie" Arbaugh will be celebrating an amazing accomplishment Monday as she celebrates her 100th birthday. At 100 years old Arbaugh takes no pills, has no aches or pains and remembers many accurate details from her life.
Arbaugh was born May 30, 1922 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. She grew up one of seven children. To this day she can still remember her old home address.
"We had a lot of fun," said Arbaugh of her years growing up.
Arbaugh spent much of her youth outdoors. She fondly remembers kayaking on the Ohio River. Her family also owned a cabin that had no running water or plumbing. Arbaugh enjoyed spending time in the water while at the cabin. She was the only one brave enough to scale and jump off one of the tall rocks on the edge of the water.
While going to high school Arbaugh worked at an infirmary helping take care of the sick and injured. This is where she would meet her future husband, Don, while helping him heal from a minor injury. The two would date throughout high school and eventually wed.
During World War II Arbaugh moved in with family in Akron to work in a factory and help with the war. As a real-life Rosie the Riveter she worked building airplanes for the Goodyear Aircraft Corporation. She would have to use rivets straight from an icebox so that they would not split while being driven. Arbaugh would work on top of the plane with a partner she would rarely see, they would have to hit the aircraft to let each other know where the next rivet would be.
After the war, Arbaugh lived in many states with her husband who was a Navy flight instructor and would later work for the railroads. They would eventually be transferred to Chillicothe in 1959. This is the place where the couple would buy a house and raise their two kids. After buying a house Arbaugh told her husband and the railroad company that they would not move again.
When she first moved to Chillicothe, Arbaugh did not know anyone in the town. After living in Chillicothe for less than a week the Chief of Police George Rice called her and offered her a job. She still says she has no clue how he knew to reach out to her.
Outside of work Arbaugh made sure her house was the gathering place for the neighborhood. She enjoyed hosting friends and neighbors at all times of the day. They would often sit in her screened-in carport drinking coffee and talking about life. Her daughter, Sarah Mick, said Arbaugh was the mom of the neighborhood always helping out the children when they needed it.
"I told everyone make it your home too," said Arbaugh
While in her 60's Arbaugh was working for Dr. Lewis Coppel. She would eventually retire from that job three different times. She kept going back at the doctor's request and due to the fact that she missed seeing the patients she had built a relationship with. She would eventually retire for good to spend more time with her grandchildren.
Looking back on her life Arbaugh cannot figure out how she has made it to 100 years old. She claims she did everything wrong but still made it this long. She still enjoys smoking, drinking mountain dew and eating chocolate. When asked why she thinks even with these habits she has made it to 100 Arbaugh said "God isn't ready for me and the devil don't want me."
Arbaugh would live by herself for over 20 years after her husband passed away. It wasn't till the age of 99 that she decided to live with her daughter and her son-in-law in Chillicothe. She moved in with the pair choosing to live with family instead of going into a nursing home since she thought a nursing home would not let her continue to smoke. Being with family also allows her more freedom.
"She does what she wants to do," said Mick. "we just follow her lead."
When she is not catching up with friends Arbaugh enjoys watching TV. Her favorite shows include old westerns, the Golden Girls and Carol Burnett. Arbaugh is also a fan of the Green Bay Packers. Her favorite player was former quarterback Bart Starr, after his retirement she stayed a fan of the team and regularly watches their games to cheer them on.
Arbaugh has many pieces of advice for younger generations. One big piece of advice is to make sure you keep life fun and laugh every day. She does not believe in taking life too seriously and loves to joke with friends and family. Arbaugh also tells people to "Love many trust few. Always paddle your own canoe." She believes you can't go wrong if you follow this advice, with it you will be able to live a happy and full life.
In celebration of Arbaugh and her long life the Chillicothe County Commissioners have proclaimed that May 30, 2022 will be Marguerite "Minnie" Arbaugh day in Chillicothe. She also celebrated her birthday with a big party on Saturday where she was able to see many of her friends and family who came to celebrate this milestone.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Former Rosie Riveter celebrates 100th birthday
