Newspaper, Profile of Edna Hazel Ford Poole, LaSalle Parish La.
Copied & submitted by: Pat Ezell, San Antonio, Texas




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From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal , Wednesday, Dec.8, 1999, Section B,
Page 9 
Thank You to the Times -Signal for allowing the following to be added to the
Archives. 
A Times-Signal Feature...."Citizen Profile" A Very Special Salute 
Edna Hazel Ford Poole
At 101, this lady has enjoyed God's blessings
She is one of LaSalle Parish's oldest residents and one of only a handful that
was born in the 1800's. And if the Lord allows her 24 more days on earth, she
will have lived in three different centuries.
Mrs. Edna Hazel Ford Poole was born in the Aimwell community on October 21,
1898, to Jake and Lucy Ratcliff Ford. Her father was a farmer who worked hard
all his life and had to play the role of both father and mother, because Lucy
died in 1900. At the time, Mrs. Edna was only two years old.
From the moment his wife passed away, Mrs. Edna became "daddy's little girl",
and he took extra care and love with his special daughter.
While the love Jake had for his wife was passed directly on to Mrs. Edna, it
did not exempt her from taking on responsibilities for the family.
As soon as she was old enough, Mrs. Edna began performing womanly tasks around
the house, while at the same helping her father in the field.
"My daddy loved me, and he loved me enough to give me responsibilities which
would help me later in life," she recalled.
Take on the task of cooking, cleaning and other jobs around the house was hard
work in those days, but Mrs. Edna performed her jobs well and was a pride in
the community. 
"We didn't have all the fancy things that everyone has today," Mrs. Edna said,
"we had no electricity and had to cook on an old wooden stove. We also no
running water, so we had to pack water from the spring up the hill to the
house - this was everyday, several times."
"Everything was harder, yes, in work that is, but on the other hand life was
much more simple," she said "We just didn't have many worries."
In 1915, at the age of 16, Mrs. Edna "ran-off" and got married. She married a
young man in the community who she'd grown up with all her life, Jesse Mickens
Poole.
Together they built a house in the Aim community and started their life
together. However, shortly into their marriage, an argument left her mad and
so she decided to go back home to her father.
As soon as her daddy learned of what had happened, he immediately told her
that "the same road that you used to get here will you right back to your
home." And with that, he sent her back to her new husband with instructions to
work things out and stick to her commitment. And she did.
The Poole's raised six children, five boys and one girl: Lewis Poole who now
resides in Edna, Oklahoma; Irma Berry who lives in Jena; J.D. Poole who now
resides in Hinesville, Georgia; Lavon Poole who lives in Aimwell; Nelson Poole
who is deceased and Moses Poole who also lives in Aimwell.
Growing up in the Poole home has left wonderful memories for all their
children, despite the "hard" life that was experienced by everyone in the
early 1900's.
Daughter Irma Berry remembered that growing up with her father and mother was
a beloved time in her life.
"It was a house filled with love and it was a family that loved the Lord," the
only daughter said, "we all had to work the fields with daddy and we each had
our own chores to do around the house, but daddy and mama made sure we each
were loved."
The same responsibilities that Mrs. Edna's father taught her as a young child
were transferred on to her children.
"As a mother, she taught us how to do many things and gave us responsibilities
which helped us later in life," Mrs. Irma said. "We raised our own food, made
our own syrup and butter, lye soap and also all of our clothes."
A typical day consisted of everyone joining at the breakfast table early in
the morning with prayer for food, and the day's activities. Next, everyone
worked the fields and at lunch time, the men rested while the women prepared
something to eat. Then it was back to the fields only to repeat the scenario
at supper time. As with every day, after baths and some play-time for the
children, the day ended with Mrs. Edna leading in prayers.
Mrs. Edna cherishes the memories of those early days of her family and her
children cherish the memories of her as well.
"I remember waking up to the sound and smell of mama grinding her own coffee
every morning and then roasting the coffee-- she had to stay right there
watching to the coffee roasting or it would burn quickly," Mrs. Irma recalled.
Mrs. Irma also remembers her mother always cooking on the old cook stove and
that and the fireplace was the only way to keep the house warm in the cold
winter. Both women noted that winters seemed to be much colder than they are
today, and that several times each year, there would be snow on the ground.
This proved especially difficult because houses weren't that well insulated
back then and the old out-houses was even colder.
Mrs. Irma also remembers he mother always cooking on the old stove and that
and the fireplace was the only way to keep the house warm in the cold winter.
Both women noted that winters they are today, and that several times each year
there would be snow on the ground. This proved especially difficult because
houses weren't that well insulated back then and the old out-house was even
colder.
In addition to the many things Mrs. Edna did, she also was very busy during
canning season. It was not unusual for her to can over 700 jars of various
things, peas, butter beans, tomatoes, peaches, etc., and also blackberry,
huckleberry and other jellies and jams.
Mrs. Edna noted that her family had to put up what they would need to eat
through the winter months and beyond, because there was no "running to the
store" back in those days.
Whenever the family felt like having fish, their father would make everyone a
stick fishing pole, including the hook, and go down to the creek or pond and
catch a mess of fish.
While growing up and raising her own family, Mrs. Edna learned to quilt and
embroidery. While these tasks originated out of necessity, later in life these
would become her greatest hobbies.
"She's probably quilted everyone she knows a quilt at one time or another, and
this was something that she taught me to do as well," said Mrs. Irma. And Mrs.
Irma has in turn passed on the quilting tradition to her children and even
grandchildren.
In the early days of the Poole home, there was no church house in the Aimwell
community. But God was very much a part of everyone's life.
"At first, we didn't have a church house so everyone would gather at our house
on Sunday afternoons and the men would lead in Bible studies," Mrs. Edna
recalled. "Then later, the Aimoch school house was built and we would hold
Sunday services there."
Mrs. Edna remembers the days when the circuit riding preachers would travel
through the area, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and many people accepted
Jesus as their Savior.
"We had some good church services at that old school house," Mrs. Edna said,
"and some of those revivals would last two and three weeks."
Mrs. Irma remembers very well her mother getting all the children ready for
church on Sunday and then loading them up in the wagon (the children would sit
on a pallet in the back) and heading off to church.
Mrs. Edna's favorite past time back then and still today is reading her Bible.
She loves to read God's Word and studies it all the time.
She also loves to pray and she said she never ends a day without "talking with
Jesus."
One of Mrs. Edna's great-granddaughters, Vicky Crooks, remembers as a young
girl spending the night with her great grandmother.
"We would get into her bed and she would pull the string to turn off the light
and then she would begin, 'Dear Sweet Jesus… and start praying,'" Vicky said.
"I can't remember how many times I have spent the night with her and fallen
asleep with her still praying."
Vicky also remembers sitting with her early in the morning enjoying hot tea,
while her great grandmother read the Bible. "She truly loves to read God's
Word."
In 1959, after 74 years of marriage, Mr. Jesse passed away. For many, many
years, Mrs. Edna stayed by herself at the homeplace she'd lived in most of her
life, the same house she and her husband had built early on.
It wasn't until in just the past several years that she was unable to stay
there by herself anymore, and so she moved into Golden Age Nursing Center,
where she continues to be one of the most loved residents.
All of her life she has never been sick, and even today at age 101, she takes
no medication and sleeps through the entire night.
Rev. Johnnie Phillips visited Mrs. Edna recently at the nursing home and she
asked the preacher why he thought God has allowed her to live as long as she
ha. Rev. Phillips then asked her if she had honored her parents when she was
younger and she replied, "yes." "Well," he said, "God's Word tells us that if
you honor your father and mother then yours days shall be long on the earth."
Mrs. Edna remembered the verse and says that can be the only possible reasons
God has given her such a long life, and encourages everyone to honor their
father and mother.
"God has been so good to me and I haven't left Him out of my life" she said,
"everyone should know my Jesus like I do."
And who can argue with her. God has blessed her in so many ways including 12
sets of five generations (with three more on the way) and one set of six
generations. Even though she will not go down in history as the richest or
most popular person in the world, those who know her would definitely rank her
at the top of their "Most Influential People" list of the 20th Century.
So the next time you're in Golden Age Nursing Center near bedtime and through
the darkness you hear someone start praying with "Dear Sweet Jesus…", just
smile and know that you are in the presence of a dear, sweet, Godly woman who
at the age of 101 still serves her Lord faithfully.