Betty Reid Soskin, nation's oldest park ranger, dies at 104

Betty Reid Soskin, once the nation's oldest active park ranger, died Sunday at her home in Richmond, California. She was 104.

Soskin worked for the National Park Service as a park ranger from age 85 until her retirement at 100 in 2022, according to her son Bob Reid. While employed by the Park Service, she led tours at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond.

Born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit on September 22, 1921, Soskin spent her early years in New Orleans with her Creole family. She worked for the U.S. Air Force in 1942 but quit after learning that she was employed only because her superiors believed she was white, according to a Park Service biography.

Throughout her life, Soskin held multiple roles and pursuits. According to a post to her Facebook page, she was a mother, daughter, musician, author, political activist, wife, record store owner, songwriter, painter, grandmother, great-grandmother, and prolific blogger.

Soskin devoted her career to telling stories that might otherwise have gone untold, highlighting the contributions of marginalized communities and ensuring that forgotten voices were brought to the forefront of American history. Her work focused on preserving the history of Black Americans and women during World War II.