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100-yr birthdays

By Times Staff Writer
Published August 28, 2005

Ruby Alma Gwynn Jaillette celebrated her 100th birthday on Aug. 20. Born in Miami to Eddie Leroy and Alice Jeannette Gwynn, Ruby attended Lemon City High School in Miami through June 1922.

Enter John Thomas Jaillette, a summer visitor from Charleston, S.C. John was visiting his parents in Miami when he met Ruby and, despite the protests of both his and Ruby's father, married her in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 31, 1923. The mothers both knew that an elopement was in the air and kept the secret. The newly married couple moved to St. Augustine, where John worked for the Florida East Coast Railroad.

By December 1925, Ruby and John had their first child, daughter Lucille Antionnette. After a brief move to Savannah in 1928, the family returned to St. Augustine and by 1930 were in the dairy business. Burton Eugene joined the family in July 1929, Shirley Alice in July 1932 and Betty Ann in February 1938. The family attended Ancient City Baptist Church while living in St. Augustine; Ruby was a member of the Evelyn Rosser Circle.

The Jaillettes moved to Miami in 1941 and returned to St. Augustine in 1945.

Ruby was primarily a homemaker and took great pride in taking good care of her family. She did, however, work as a nursing assistant at Gilmer's Nursing Home in St. Augustine.

Son Burton died in October 1975; husband John in January 1977, daughter Shirley in March 1984 and daughter Betty in November 2004.

Ruby was a gifted seamstress. Her granddaughter Sarah Milone is still awed by the memory of her grandmother cutting a pattern without using a single pin. When Ruby was in her late 80s, she helped make the wedding dresses for her two granddaughters.

A couple of broken hips, one in 1990 and the other in 1991, forced Ruby to slow down a bit, but she is still an active and alert member of the family. She has seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

We think that living 100 years is worth our taking notice. If you or a family member is about to celebrate a 100th birthday or more, please let us know. Include the following information: the person's full name, date of birth, place of birth, parents' names (including mother's maiden name) if known, name of spouse (if applicable), marriage date, names of children and number of grandchildren (if applicable), length of time the person has lived in this area and a phone number in case we have questions. Also, please include a photo that doesn't need to be returned. We'll publish the information as close to the birthday as possible. Send the information to 100-year Birthdays, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1121 or fax to (727) 893-8675.

[Last modified August 28, 2005, 01:13:25]