Portland woman turns 103 years old: 'I just lived a kind of normal life'

PORTLAND, Ore. – Ruth Mitchell has spent a majority of her life in Portland.

On Sunday, she celebrated a milestone – her 103rd birthday.

Mitchell moved to Portland in the 1940s. She has also experienced a lot of major changes in the Rose City firsthand.

She said she lived in what is now the Rose Quarter when the coliseum was built. She was living on the plot and had to move away.

She got a job at the Lloyd Center when it opened, and worked there until 1985.

"I just lived a kind of normal life," she tells KATU News.

For a 103 years old, Mitchell is in great health. Aside from what she calls a little wobble in her step, she said she still drives, has all her teeth, and doesn't need to wear glasses.