Bride picks a flower girl: her 100-year-old grandmother

CRYSTAL, Minn — A rusty, old garden cart, being pulling across a front yard by a white-haired dynamo, could serve as a metaphor for Ruthie Klatte.

“Yeah, as long as the wheels keep turning,” Ruthie says with zest.

As long as Ruthie’s wheels keep turning, she’ll be going straight to her flowers.

“That’s a white Zinnia,” Ruthie says as she points out blossoms in her garden. 

Xenias and phlox and roses; Ruthie’s among them every day.

“These are begonias,” she says while saturating a hanging basket with a water-filled, half-gallon milk jug.

Flowers now joined in Ruthie’s garden by helium-filled balloons that recently marked a milestone birthday.

“People don’t believe that I’m 100,” she says. 

Nor do they believe this: “I’ve got two new knees, total knee replacement,” Ruthie says as she points from one knee to the other. “I was 95 when I got this one, 97 when I got this one.”

Her doctor might still not believe it.   

“He said we don’t do it on 90-year-olds,” Ruthie laughs.  

But then, Ruthie become his exception.

“From all over the hospital, it seemed to be such a novelty because they were all coming to look at me,” Ruthie says with a mix of amusement and amazement.

On her new knees, Ruthie went back to her flowers.”

“Have you ever read all these articles about what flowers does for you?” she asks.

And what do flowers do for Ruthie?

“Make me feel good,” she says without a moment’s thought. 

“Good” is the same way Ruthie feels when she sees the photo on her living room shelf of her granddaughter. True to form, Jillian Klatte was photographed for her senior portrait surrounded by yellow flowers.

“Oh, she’s a wonderful girl,” Ruthie says. “I just love her.”

The affection goes both ways. 

“She’s just the rock in our whole family,” Jillian says of her grandmother. “She’s awesome; she’s a rock star.”

Jillian has spent her entire life watching Ruthie blossom.

Which brings us to Jillian’s wedding day.  

Before selecting her flowers, Jillian asked herself, who better to be her flower girl?

“She’s been a role model for me my whole life,” Jillian says. “So, I just said, I want my grandma to do it.”

In a ceremony atop the IDS Tower, Ruthie walks up the aisle dropping the rose petals on which Jillian and her groom will walk.

For her granddaughter’s wedding, Ruthie is wearing a dress adorned with roses — and a smile.

Jillian and Eli chose a 100-year-old gardener to pave with pedals their path.

For they know, where Ruthie goes, love grows.

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