Evelyn Poole was born in Richmond, Virginia on Sept. 3, 1922, to her father who worked as an iceman, and to her homemaker mother. 

This year marked Poole’s 100th birthday, which she celebrated with her family in Richmond before sharing in a follow-up celebration with her congregation at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in Capitol Heights, Maryland on Sept. 13.   

Poole said she could not believe she turned 100. 

“When I turned 100 years old, which was in Richmond, Virginia, I just couldn’t believe it, everyone who knows me knows I celebrate my birthday, but this 100 one? It was different,” Poole said. 

The only regimen she said she’s committed to since her husband, Larry Poole, died in 2010 is going upstairs 13 steps and down 13 steps at the church. She also teased that she loves to hang out with young people. 

Before retiring in 1979, Poole worked for the Interstate Commerce Commission from ages 22 to her late fifties. Currently, Poole is a member of St. Margaret of Scotland’s retirement group.  

“We do little exercises, we go on trips sometimes, things like that,” Poole said. 

Poole said her favorite presidents so far are Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.

“I liked it better in my time, because today it just seems like everybody is, they're not really working with the people like I felt they did years ago,” Poole said. “The others were okay, but those two were mine.”

Poole expressed how grateful she was for her upbringing and life, and she said she was fortunate. 

“I’ve had a good growing up in life, really, really good, people have always wanted to do things for me, I did things for myself, but they just liked being around me,” Poole said.

The well-attended event included Poole’s friends and family, neighbors, and community leaders. After everyone found their seats in the parish’s Omega Room, Father Michael Moran, a priest of the Society of African Missions who serves as the parish’s pastor, kicked off the event with a prayer, followed by St. Margaret’s Music Director Joseph Joy leading attendees in singing “I Will Bless the Lord with My Soul.” 

Lester Dockery, a fellow parishioner at St. Margaret of Scotland, escorted Mrs. Poole down the aisle of the room to the main table where she was joined by a handful of attendees scheduled to speak, including Gail Carter. 

Gail Carter, a longtime member and volunteer at St. Margaret of Scotland, said those at the event were witnessing “100 years of God’s blessing.” She went on to say that Poole was apprehensive about celebrating since many of Poole’s friends and family have passed. Despite this, members of Poole’s family from Richmond did attend the event. The others, Carter said, attended in spirit. 

Other speakers at the celebration included Evelyn Nichols from the Ladies of Charity, Vivian Dodson, the first black woman mayor in Capitol Heights, and Edna Jacobs, who is the chairperson of the Sodality of the parish. 

All the speakers discussed similar aspects of Poole they cherished, including her candor when speaking, well-kept friendships, and devotion to her faith. 

Maryland State Senator Joanne Benson from District 24 in Prince George’s County spoke as well, discussing Poole’s involvement in The Greater 202 Coalition, a group that meets monthly with Benson in order to update and inform the community regarding resources and information. 

 “You are living what God requires,” Benson said. 

 Benson went on to discuss the needs of her district, and how the coalition organizes to fulfill those needs at St. Margaret’s through food and clothing drives. Benson thanked the volunteers from the church for giving back. 

“I had no idea that Mrs. Evelyn Poole was 100 years old,” Benson said, which elicited laughter from the crowd. She described when she first met Poole, how energetic and generous she was and continues to be in the community. “She socializes, she’s just glad to be here, what a wonderful, wonderful legacy that this woman has portrayed among this church and so many people.”

“The fact that you’re here today speaks volumes of the kind of character and the kind of integrity, the kind of honesty, the kind of love that Ms. Evelyn Poole portrays, she is living because of the service that she has rendered, and God is pleased with her,” Benson said.

 Benson offered an official citation from the Maryland Senate that congratulated Poole on her 100th birthday. 

Joy led everyone in singing along to The Temptations’ song “My Girl,” Poole’s favorite, which was a reference to her late husband who called her “my girl” when proposing. 

Father Moran then blessed the food before attendees ate, chatted, and listened to music for the remainder of the event.