Reuben Law, Nevada's last known veteran of World War I and one of only about 200 left in the United States, died at around 1 a.m. New Year's Day, according to his family. He was 106.
"Just before midnight, we sang hymns, and at the stroke of 12, we popped a bottle of champagne and had a round of toasts," said Law's daughter-in-law Linda Law. "And then we sent him on his way."
"He knew he was surrounded with love," she said. "He was very much at peace."
Law, who always attributed his longevity to "good genes," apparently had had a small stroke a few days before.
Born in 1898, Law was honored in November at a Northern Nevada Lineage Society luncheon at the Thunder Canyon Country Club in Washoe Valley.
During World War II, Law served on a patrol boat in the Mississippi River as part of the St. Paul Coast Guard Reserve.
He moved to Carson City during the 1990s, and continued to live the normal, active life of a man decades younger.
Law kept his driver's license until age 101, read the newspaper every day, and maintained his lucidity and sense of humor right up to the end.
At the luncheon in November, Law stood up and paused before speaking:
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I guess I've seen it all; I've heard it all; I've done it all ... I just can't remember it all."
But he will be remembered.
Contact reporter Peter Thompson at pthompson@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.
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