GALT, CA (MPG) - Ruth Silar Enos has 100 years of stories and she’ll sit for hours sharing her wisdom if you just give her the chance.

The Galt resident turned 100 years old on Tuesday, March 4. Friends and family gathered at Valley Oaks Senior Apartments in Galt, where she has lived for the past 22 years, to celebrate the occasion with cake, gifts and memories to be shared. 

When asked how it feels to be 100, Silar Enos led with a joke. 

“Well, I’m kind of sore right now,” Silar Enos said. “But I’m still making it. I still do all of my own work, so I’m getting a little tired right now. 

“I am 100, you know,” she said with a smile.

Silar Enos was born in Neosho, Mo., on March 4, 1925. Silar Enos would go on to marry Wilbur Silar of Gramby, Mo. In 1942, the pair would travel and live in several states before settling in Northern California in 1958.

Ruth and Wilbur Silar would have three children: Joe Silar, who lives in Garberville; Linda Quezada, who lives in Miami Beach, Fl.; and Carolyn Silar, who lived the majority of her life in Southern California before moving to Galt in 2017 to be near her mother.

Silar Enos also has seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Silar Enos comes from a farming family; both her father and her grandfather reached 100 years old. Sharp, independent and joyful, Silar Enos said the key to living a long, healthy life is staying active. She is a proponent of eating healthy food and staying on her feet, and is a common sight at Valley Oaks Senior Apartments, walking the winding paths around the complex to stay in shape. 

Ruth was primarily a stay-at-home mother, but she also worked a stint at IBM before her arthritis forced her to retire. She was described by her daughter Carolyn as a “very strong person.”

“She’s a person that is laughing all the time,” Silar said. “In fact, she laughs even at times you shouldn’t laugh. She’s a very happy, and a very, very, very, strong person.”

Silar said that her mother encouraged all of her children to be successful and hardworking members of society.

“She taught us that you don’t just get something for nothing; you have to work for it,” Silar said. “My brother and sisters have done that. We have made her proud.”

Denise Pea, property manager at Valley Oaks Senior Apartments, said Silar Enos was one of the first residents to introduce themselves to her when she arrived around nine months ago and has been a joy to be around. 

“She is so pleasant,” Pea said. “And for a person to be her age is amazing. She knows what is going on, and it is just a wonderful experience.” 

As attendees piled into the celebration, a visual glee could be seen coming over Silar Enos’ face as she sat in her specially decorated throne. 

“Oh, I love it,” Silar Enos said. “I am just so happy to be here. You all have made me feel so special.”