STODDARD 100th

Roland Stoddard celebrated his 100 birthday on July 18 with his wife of 69 years by his side and in the company of many friends from the Village Retirement Center in Gresham, Ore.

Roland grew up in Valentine, Neb. The family made a few moves, and Roland graduated from high school in Salem, Ore., in 1935. He was inducted into the Army in 1942 and served three years as a medic. After his discharge he attended a business program at Walla Walla College (now Walla Walla University) where he met Grace Williamson, who was studying nursing.

After their married on Aug. 12, 1946, they moved to Portland, Ore., where they both worked as nurses at Portland Adventist Sanitarium and Hospital (now Adventist Medical Center) until retirement. When asked about their long and happy marriage, Grace spoke up and declared that trust and respect were the most important elements. In the mid-1980s they moved to the Village Retirement Center and made many friends in Gresham over the next 30-plus years.

Roland has only flown in an airplane once — a small plane while serving in the Army. He rode the train a few times, but preferred the bus. Both preferred walking to local destinations and were very hard workers.