Ruth Ward's remarkable life story unfolds like a sweeping epic across continents and decades. Born to missionary parents in China during World War II, her earliest memories include watching American planes flying over Peking after her father was tragically shot when she was just seven years old. As Communist forces advanced, her pregnant mother navigated their escape with five children, beginning a harrowing seven-week journey aboard an ocean liner equipped with minesweepers to detect floating dangers.

The voyage brought them to England before settling in Sweden, where Ruth began her career in healthcare. Her professional path eventually led her to Boston as an exchange medical technician at Children's Hospital, where she performed heart catheterizations on newborns. What started as a temporary position became permanent when she fell in love with America—and eventually with a man she met through a chance encounter on an airplane when a flight attendant forced her to switch seats.

After building her nursing career and raising a family in Massachusetts, Ruth moved to New Hampshire in 1995, where she and her second husband physically built their house together—she can point out exactly where every electrical wire lies because she installed them herself. This hands-on approach characterizes everything in her life, from climbing all 48 of New Hampshire's 4000-foot mountains to becoming a certified master weaver juried into the League of NH Craftsmen.

Her path to the New Hampshire Senate began with local planning board service before winning her first Senate race by just nine votes. Now in her fifth term, Senator Ward brings her healthcare expertise, global perspective, and practical problem-solving approach to the Education and Transportation committees. Her story reminds us that behind every political figure lies a tapestry of extraordinary life experiences that shape their understanding of the world and inform their public service.

Listen now to discover how a little girl who escaped war-torn China grew up to become one of New Hampshire's most respected state senators, and what her remarkable journey teaches us about resilience, adaptability, and finding purpose across multiple careers and continents.