THE social highlight of the week was the 100th birthday party for Mrs. Evelyn Smith whose waterside home is near the border of Pembroke and Devonshire on the main North Shore Road.

She probably could hardly have wished for a better setting for the event than being surrounded by about 100 of her close relatives, friends and admirers ? and, most especially, by her two daughters, Roydelle, who lives with her, and Emmy-Lou Givens, who makes her home in South Carolina with her husband.

Emmy-Lou was accompanied to Bermuda for the celebration by most of the four American-born grandchildren, nine great-grands and one great-great-grand child she has produced for centenarian Evelyn.

Even though the big party was on Saturday, August 26, the actual date of Mrs. Smith's birth in 1906, she has had a steady stream of well-wishers calling at her home every day since. Her good friend Mrs. Colleen Dill and daughter Sonia made their spacious lawn at Pokiok Close, overlooking the South Shore in Smith's Parish available for the event.

Two huge tents were erected at the last minute to accommodate the guests who braved the unusually windy and rainy weather.

Fashionably dressed, wearing a tiara and smiling as usual, Mrs. Smith made her grand entrance sheltered by an umbrella held by her daughter, to applause and the music of her favourite hymn, .

Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Jossephine Bean, said it was a time for rejoicing as she invoked a prayer, offering thanks for the virtuous, beautiful, worthy woman Evelyn is, and who has been especially blessed in not having had a serious sick day in her long life.

Mrs. Smith is the last survivor of the two daughters and two sons born to Maria and Charles Henry Smith. Her father was one of the village grocers, operating a shop from what is now the family homestead.

Early in life she cultivated an interest in both the hospitality and retail business. For 30 years she worked for Horizons Ltd. at its old Newstead Hotel in Paget. And, until her retirement six years ago, she spent 36 years working for the Bermuda Book Store in Hamilton.

In 1941 she was married to one of Bermuda's most personable bartenders, the late Gerald Leroy (Joe) Smith whose name was synonymous with the Leopards Club International. He was the father of their two daughters. Mrs. Smith regularly worships at St. Monica's Anglican Church. She's a member of the church guild, and for more than 90 years she has been a member of the Household of Ruth of the Alexandrina Lodge of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows. She joined as a juvenile.

She is the senior-most member of the Bermuda Nursing Association. It is a trust, formed decades ago by the Oddfellows and kindred societies as a support for the old Cottage Nursing Home & Hospital, and to finance the training of during the period when black doctors and nurses were not permitted to either work or train at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital because of their race.

Premier Alex Scott and his wife Olga joined members of Mrs. Smith's associations in congratulating her. He drew laughs when he said he and Evelyn attended the same school, noting that she was recently honoured as the oldest living ex-scholar of the Berkeley Institute, his own alma mater.

He also praised her for being the head of what he called a United Nations family, noting that her daughter Emmy-Lou lives in North Carolina and her oldest grand-daughter, Leah-Rae Washington, lives in Texas with her husband Marvin and five children. Her grandson Stephen lives in Atlanta, Georgia with wife and three children, Karen lives in Hindsville, Georgia with husband Scott and two children while Emmy-Lou's youngest daughter lives in Alaska with husband Bernard, two children and grand-baby. The Premier noted that Mrs. Smith was plucky enough to visit each of her overseas offspring wherever and whenever she can.