Virginia Clara Drews
Ridgefielder and new centenarian Virginia “Ginger” Clara Drews has enjoyed an eventful century, working in a New York City hospital for many years, befriending Eleanor Roosevelt, fixing up an old house for decades with her husband, and seeing the world.
Ginger was born on May 15, 1915, in her home at 876 West 180th Street in New York City. Her parents, Ada and Fredric Ehrlich, were artists — her rather a professor of art at the Cooper Union. According to her mother Ada’s wishes, Virginia studied to be a concert pianist, playing at Carnegie Hall at a young age. She continued her studies after high school, attending Hunter College. But when her father died at an early age, Ginger had to support her mother. She left school, starting an interesting career as supervisor of the Harkness Pavilion at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
She worked for the hospital 27 years and came in contact and became friends with many of the movie stars of the day who had to be admitted to the hospital, including Ray Bolger, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy. She also had an occasion where she met Franklin Roosevelt and later in her life became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt.
She’s always loved sports and horses. In high school she was on the basketball and bowling teams. She rode horses in Central Park and attended annual rodeos at Madison Square Garden. Eventually Ginger was invited to lead the Grand Entry Parade of rodeo riders around the ring — quite an honor for a young girl dressed in her Western splendor. In her 20’s Ginger liked to spend weekends upstate New York at a horse ranch. It is there that she met “the most dashing dude” and love of her life, Edwin Drews. They married in New York City on June 18, 1950, celebrating at the once grand Tavern on the Green (she still has the menu: prime rib was $3.95 and glass of wine $1.50).
The outdoors lifestyle they wanted was not going to work in the city. They skied in the winter and rode horses on the ranch where they met. After spending weekends with friends in Hyde Park, N.Y., they decided to get out of the city and move to that same area. In 1951 they bought a 182-year-old Dutch colonial on 15 acres, no plumbing or electricity, in Stattsburg, N.Y. They acquired a huge Great Dane named Guvvy and started a lifelong renovation of their beloved red country home. Ginger worked at the local hospital for two surgeons, eventually becoming executive secretary of the Dutchess County Medical Society. She volunteered at the local SPCA and was president of the Dutchess County SPCA auxiliary from 1972 to 1974.
Retirement did not slow down Ginger. She became a docent at the great Vanderbilt Mansion on the Hudson River and at Eleanor Roosevelt’s private home in Hyde Park, N.Y. In fact, many times after Ginger had completed giving a tour of her home Eleanor invited Ginger for tea and cookies.
In the late 1970s, early 1980s, Ginger and Ed traveled when they weren’t working on their home or volunteering time to the community. They visited 27 countries all over the world, keeping photo albums of every country. Their travels ended when Ed, who was seven years older than she, had a stroke. Ginger dropped everything, caring for him until his death in 1995.
In 1999 Virginia sold her Staatsburg house after living there for 48 years and moved to Ridgefield Crossings here in town. She moved to be close to friends who could help here in her later years, and because “climbing up on the roof cleaning gutters at age 85 might not be a good idea.” She became involved with the Crossings community, enjoying the many activities and trips that are offered. She joined Ridgebury Congregational church in 2000 and in 2005 contributed to the church’s project to build a handicapped ramp to the church’s entrance.
Ginger has lived at Ridgefield Crossings for 15 years, making her the only original and longest resident. She suffers from glaucoma but still enjoys reading the newspaper headlines. She takes no medication and only a few months ago started using a wheelchair for longer trips (to the dining room or out). Otherwise she relies on a walker. She enjoys bingo, playing cards, and going to the daily evening happy hour.
Ginger’s family said that with a wonderful sense of humor and a twinkle in her eye “she has many great stories to tell and never misses a beat.”
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