Birthday for centenarian is just another day to him

By Aida Ahmed

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

Wednesday is just another day to Ruso Haymond.

When he wakes up at 8 a.m. he will put his clothes on, walk outside of his downtown Las Vegas apartment on Bridger Avenue and head to a store on Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway. Most days he’ll catch a bus to a nearby McDonalds for breakfast.

But Wednesday really isn’t just another day for him; it’s his 100th birthday.

“I don’t even pay it attention,” said Haymond. “You just got to roll out of bed and take it one day at a time.” The centenarian says aging has made his body stiff and wrinkly, but walking keeps him alive. He rarely misses a long morning stroll, whether to a local casino or to a fast food joint downtown.

“You would never believe that he was 100 years old from his spirit to his physical activity,” said Lesley Perceval, the community manager at City Center Apartments where Haymond lives. “Every day he leaves early in the morning and he takes his walk. He usually doesn’t get back until late in the afternoon.”

Born Oct. 19, 1911, Haymond has lived through an entire century and spent the last 11 years of it in Las Vegas. He joined the Army in 1943 where he said he lived through the first invasion of World War II. He was honorably discharged a couple years later and went on to work in a restaurant. With his wife, Sarah Haymond, he had four children and later, 23 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.

He outlived his wife, who died in 2000, and many of his friends.

On days he is too tired to walk he watches the Travel Channel, which he says takes him back to his Army days when he traveled across Europe. The television was yet to be invented when he was born, a reminder of how long he has lived.

His daughter, Linda Haymond, 59, lives in Las Vegas and hangs out with her father when she’s not working.

“I really had not expected to see him live this long,” said Haymond. “He’s in good health and the doctors don’t understand it. It’s overwhelming. I’m glad to see him and I hope he makes next year.”

His energy doesn’t surprise her. As a child she remembers trying to keep up with her dad.

“He has always been a get-up-and-go-person ever since we were kids,” said Haymond. “When the weekend comes, if you’re not up when he’s ready at five in the morning you are left behind.”

At 100, Haymond says he has done everything he wanted to do and gone everywhere he wanted to go. His birthday celebration, hosted by members of his family and the staff at City Center Apartments, is not what will make this Wednesday special.

“Every day that you wake up is a good day,” said Haymond.

And when he wakes up Thursday morning he’ll treat it like any other day and start it off with a walk.