She Lived 104 Years, and Changed How America Remembers Its History!

The story of Betty Reid Soskin is not merely a chronicle of longevity, but a profound testament to the power of the individual voice in the grand theater of American history. Passing away peacefully at the age of 104, Soskin left behind a world that looks fundamentally different because she lived in it. She was a woman who did not merely inhabit her century; she interrogated it, challenged its omissions, and eventually became its most eloquent translator. At an age when most have long since retreated into the quiet of retirement, Soskin embarked on her most significant chapter, proving that the most vital work of a lifetime can often begin in its twilight.

Soskin’s name became synonymous with the National Park Service, where she served as the oldest active ranger in the organization’s history until her retirement at the age of 100 in 2022. However, her impact was measured in more than just years of service or the iconic flat-brimmed hat she wore with such dignity. She was the moral heartbeat of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. When the park was being conceptualized, Soskin was the voice in the room who refused to allow the narrative to be sanitized. She understood that while the “Rosie” archetype was a powerful symbol of female empowerment, it was a story that, in its traditional telling, often bypassed the segregated realities and the systemic exclusion faced by African Americans during the war effort.