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Betty Reid Soskin, the Nation’s Oldest Park Ranger Suffers Stroke

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “For now, we will need to hire in-home care to keep her safe and give her the best possible opportunity for recovery, recognizing that, at 98 years old, recovery is not a given,” Soskin’s son, Bob Reid, wrote on the GoFundMe site on Sept. 24. “We want her to have the best possible care during this challenge.”

Published

7 years ago

October 19, 2019

Oakland Post

At 98, Betty Reid Soskin is the country's oldest park ranger. She's earned a bevy of honors, including from President Barack Obama.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Betty Reid Soskin is renowned for numerous reasons, including the insightful dissertations she regularly gives at the Rosie the Riveter Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

There, Soskin regularly speaks on Richmond’s history, race, and social change, including her own life as a black woman working at the city’s segregated union hall.

At 98, Soskin is the country’s oldest park ranger. She’s earned a bevy of honors, including from President Barack Obama.

Today, the famous park ranger is recovering from a stroke, and her son, Bob Reid, said expenses have continued to mount. Reid has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical care.

“For now, we will need to hire in-home care to keep her safe and give her the best possible opportunity for recovery, recognizing that, at 98 years old, recovery is not a given,” Bob Reid, wrote on the GoFundMe site on Sept. 24. “We want her to have the best possible care during this challenge.”

As of Oct. 19, $64,250 was raised by 926 donors. The goal is $100,000, which Reid said is based on an estimate of an in-home care person for eight hours a day for one year.

In a Facebook post on Sept. 22, Reid wrote that Soskin showed evidence of a stroke while working at the Rosie the Riveter World War II/Home Front National Historic Park. A visit to the hospital confirmed that fear.

“She continues to improve,” Reid later wrote. “She seems to be getting on with being alive! There is much to reconnect with. Thank you all for your support and for caring for her!”

In an Oct. 9 post, Reid said the International Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, sent in a check for $10,000.

“The International Vice President, Tom Baca, told me about his first-time meeting Betty. He said it was at a big gathering,” Reid wrote.

“He was wearing his suit and had given a speech that he was pleased with and which had gotten an enthusiastic response from the crowd. He told me that as he was accepting congratulations and was feeling pretty good about things, this diminutive woman came up to him and said, ‘I will never forgive the Boilermakers for what they did to me.’ His stature shrunk. Hers grew.”

Reid continued:

“He proceeded to learn about the history of the Boilermakers and the ‘Auxiliary’ unions, which kept men of color out of the Union. Tom began to see things through a different lens and now says he is grateful to Betty.

“He said the Boilermakers Union now embraces and acknowledges that past.

“It was obvious that there was a deep caring in that office for my mother. I am grateful for his initiative to make this check happen! Thank you, Boilermakers Union, for your generous donation to Betty’s Fund.”

In a 2018 feature in Glamour, which named Soskin its “Woman of the Year,” the magazine noted that Soskin was 85 when she started work as a park ranger.

Soskin had worked as a field representative for California Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, who asked her to sit in on planning meetings for a new park.

During meetings, Soskin would enlighten those assembled with tales of history.

She “quickly saw that, if she didn’t speak up, the park would portray a whitewashed version of history,” according to Glamour.

“There was no conspiracy to leave my history out,” she says in the article. “There was simply no one in that room with any reason to know it.”

She regaled the audience with tales of working at an all-black union hall during World War II. Soskin said she briefly worked in an all-white branch of the Air Force – they didn’t realize she was black when they hired her.

Tom Leatherman, the park’s superintendent, told Glamour that Soskin motivated organizers to bring more people to the table. “Because of Betty, we made sure we had African American scholars review our films and exhibits. We also made sure we were looking out for other, often forgotten stories — Japanese American, Latino American, American Indian, and LGBTQ narratives — that were equally important.”

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Smooth Ride! Car Suspension & Comfort Tested #shorts

Smooth suspension meets surprisingly spacious legroom. Experience true comfort on any road!

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1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

Car suspension test demonstrating a smooth ride, comfort features, and handling on various terrains.

Experience the difference smooth suspension makes on rough streets. Check out the surprisingly good second-row legroom – test it yourself for true comfort.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/l9Z571za5Gc

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61 years since Selma, Houston leaders say the bridge remains to be crossed

61 years after Selma, Houston leaders say the fight for equality continues. The issues that sparked the marches still impact Black Americans today.

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

Houston leaders discuss the ongoing struggle for civil rights 61 years after Selma, emphasizing the need for continued action.

It has been 61 years since the Selma marches. But political leaders in Houston say that the issues protesters were marching for still plague the lives of Black Americans.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.