Ruth Sale has lived 108 years. I had the opportunity to interview her in 2016 at the age of 106. It was a challenging interview because the TV was on in the background, other people were talking, Ruth had difficulty hearing, plus she’d lie in bed and speak softly, then suddenly sit up, becoming very animated and speaking louder.
Holding the microphone, my voice was often loud in comparison so that she could hear me. At the same time, I had to move with her as she would sit up and lie back. But with the aid of Audacity software, I was able to clean up the audio in comparison to the original.
It’s still difficult to understand, but the little nuggets she shares are worth it. Living 108 years, she has some interesting stories and wisdom.
Ruth Hebditch Sale
B: 12/28/1909
D: 7/7/2018
Interviewed: 9/8/2016
Havre de Grace probably knows Ruth and the entire Sale family for owning the local Coca-Cola plant in Havre de Grace – started by her father, John Cameron Hebditch.
Here’s a link to Ruth’s obituary.
INTERVIEW NOTE: This was a challenging recording. Mrs. Ruth Sale was so generous with her time and patient with me. But she has difficulty hearing and would sit up and move around frequently in her hospital bed. She was very sharp! But I’d hold the microphone close to her because her voice was often quite soft … and the reason I sound like I’m shouting is because I had to speak up for her to hear me and I’m close to the microphone (because I’m holding it). Crazy! It’s not the usual balance. And it made it difficult to even correct in editing. I kept parts of the audio, even if difficult to understand, and did my best to translate because this interview touched my heart. It’s not often I get to interview a person who has reached the age of 106!
I thank Cecil Hill, Sr. for telling me about Ruth. I am so pleased that Ruth put up with me. It was a beautiful afternoon and her wit was quite obvious throughout the interview. Delightful.
I must also thank Janice Frederick, the artist whose studio is Faces ‘n Places here in Havre de Grace. She gave me a ride to meet Ruth, her son, Robert, and daughter, Marilyn. While she waited, she created a portrait. It’s beautiful and also challenging as Ruth moved about and the room was darker than she would have liked to work on a portrait. Again, a delightful afternoon!
