Local Centenarian Marks Her 104th Year

Courtland, Va., Sept. 30, 2024 —It was a small gathering of family and friends when Ms. Emily Vick of Courtland turned 104 on Monday. On the menu for her birthday dinner were some of her favorites: baked chicken, cabbage, corn muffins, and coconut pie.

Ms. Vick, a native of Branchville, moved from Franklin to Courtland twenty years ago to live with her younger sister, Conceller Clark. She stayed active and drove a car well into her nineties.

She can’t pinpoint any one key to longevity, but it may be in her genes. Her mother lived to 104, and her sister is 96. She and her siblings grew up working hard on the family farm, where they grew corn, cotton, peanuts, and a vegetable garden.

For the last twelve years, Ms. Vick has received the help of a Senior Companion, Ms. Lizzie Scott. Through a program run by Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Ms. Scott provides companionship and help with household chores and errands.

In earlier years, Ms. Scott took the sisters to the bank, the grocery store, and anywhere else they needed to go. Now that they are older, Ms. Scott mostly keeps them company at home. Over the years, the women have formed a strong friendship.

“I’d do anything for those ladies,” Ms. Scott said of Ms. Vick and Ms. Clark. “I love them.” An avid cook, Ms. Scott brings meals to share with the sisters. She made them strawberry pies for Mother’s Day, and she was the cook for Monday’s birthday celebration.

The sisters have aides in the home daily to help with self-care and getting to the doctor, but they have little family left. Apart from a younger sister in Chesapeake and two grandsons, Ms. Clark is Ms. Vick’s only remaining relative.

Ms. Scott, who has been a Senior Companion volunteer since 1999, said that the sisters depend on her visits. “And I’m happy to do it. They are the nicest ladies. We’ve never had a cross word.”

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Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the older adults and caregivers of South Hampton Roads and Western Tidewater. With more than 50 years of service, Senior Services has delivered programs and services that keep older adults healthy, active, and engaged. For more information, visit www.ssseva.org or call 757-461-9481.