We invite customers 100 years or older to contact the library and join the RHPL Mighty 100 Club. This club salutes customers who at 100 years of age or older remain actively engaged in reading. Members will be honored with a commemorative pin and certificate along with the opportunity to share their library stories. The Outreach Services staff would love to hear from library customers who meet the age requirement and would like to become members of the RHPL Mighty 100 Club. Please call 248-650-7150 for more information or to join.

Our Members:

Evelyn Cogan is 101 years old and a resident of American House Stone. She was born in Suttons Bay, Michigan then moved to the Detroit area where she raised a family. She has two daughters and three granddaughters. Her daughter, Marilyn Kelly is a Michigan Supreme Court Justice. Florida was Evelyn's home for several years but she relocated back to Michigan to be closer to her family. Her apartment at American House is filled with beautiful needlepoint and many other kinds of art that she did over many years. At ninety years old, Evelyn begin tutoring for th Oakland Literacy Council and tutored for eight years. She was named Tutor of the Year during her tutoring career. Evelyn's eyes are not as good as they used to be so now she listens to recorded books. When people ask her if she can point to anything that has contributed to her longevity, she responds "It wasn't clean living." Mrs. Cogan has managed to keep an open mind and has maintained a keen sense of humor.

Local resident Doris Hollister is the newest member of the RHPL Mighty 100 Club. Doris was born in Connecticut and met her husband at Cornell where she studied to be a teacher.  She worked at a one room school before having three children.  Doris fondly remembers her first ride in an automobile, on a dirt road.  The vehicle went so slow she wondered what all the fuss was about – it was not any faster than walking!  Her hobbies in life have included needlework, gardening and reading.  She is well known for her lemon meringue pie.  She credits her long life to a good education and a great marriage.  It is an honor to recognize Doris Hollister in our Mighty 100 Club.

With her upcoming October birthday commemorating her 105th year, Dorothy Plauman has the distinction of being the most senior member of the RHPL Mighty 100 Club. Born in Detroit, Mrs. Plauman migrated to the Brooklands area of Avon Township in 1929 after marrying her husband who was a postman in Royal Oak. Dorothy remembers the Depression years as the best years of all as everyone was in the same boat and the sense of community was strong. A lifelong reader and library user, Dorothy recalls using the King Branch of the Detroit Public Library as a child. Her mother would often find her in a tree reading a book. In the past six years while residing at Sunrise Assisted Living, she has been enjoying large print and audio books from the RHPL. The library materials are delivered biweekly by Outreach & Bookmobile Services Librarian, Karen Mountz, who over the years has become a trusted friend. Dorothy credits reading for keeping her mind active and appreciates its ability to transport her to new places. Among her favorite stories are the Mitford series written by Jan Karon, as well as history and biography. When asked for her advice on living a long life, Dorothy believes that her support network of family, friends, and church community has much to do with her longevity, as does healthy eating and hobbies requiring mental activity. Being a gardener, she has always eaten fresh fruits and vegetables and benefited from the physical demands of getting down and digging in the dirt, which also gave her comfort during difficult times. She has enjoyed hobbies such as pinochle, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and has always kept up with current events by reading the daily newspaper. Visitors and phone calls are daily occurrences to Dorothy's room; she is beloved by many.

Dorothea Runstrom, who celebrated her 100th birthday at Danish Village on March 16, is the newest member of the RHPL Mighty 100 Club.  When asked her secret to longevity these are her words, “Keep Busy”.  And in living up to her own philosophy, Dorothea continues to work one morning a week in the Danish Village Library and helps deliver Meals on Wheels once a week to some of her fellow residents.  She is interested in everything that is happening in her family, her church, her building, and her community. Dorothea was born on a farm in the Upper Peninsula, the only girl in a family of eight boys.  When asked if she got special treatment as the only girl her response was “if you call peeling potatoes and washing dishes all day every day special treatment.”  She moved to the Detroit area as a young adult.  She lived for many years in Royal Oak where she worked at the Sanders Bakery part time.  She worked in the candy section and to this day loves chocolate – especially Sanders.  Dorothea is a voracious reader and has much to say about books she enjoys.  She tells of her first experience working in the Danish Village Library – she was asked to shelve some books and finished in record time.  Turns out she didn’t know the books were filed by author so her record still stands for speed of returning books to the shelves.  Dorothea was one of the first residents at Danish Village when it opened in 1980.  She is a true treasure. Listen to the interview with Dorothea. 

Jean Yeyna was born in Pittsburg, PA, on Halloween in 1907. Her parents moved to Detroit for job opportunities and Jean stayed behind for a time, as she was then a secretary for Westinghouse. When it became clear to her that she couldn't save any money due to rent payments, she decided she needed to join her parents in Michigan. She met and married her husband after relocating. They lived in Detroit for a time but later moved to St. Clair Shores where they lived for fifty years. Jean is currently living at American House Elmwood where she is just around the corner from her son Bill and his wife. Jean has maintained her sense of humor and told me several quite repeatable jokes during our chat. She now suffers from macular degeneration and hearing loss, but was an avid reader before losing her vision. She preferred best sellers and rattled off the names of several bestselling authors including Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts. When I asked her if she had any thoughts on what contributed to her longevity she mentioned that she never drank or smoked but knew other people who did both and still lived a long life, so mostly she believes it is random.