SR0920 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0920 LRB103 40258 LAW 72236 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough, who passed away on April 7, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was born on August 22, 1950; she earned an undergraduate degree in business management from Chicago State University and a master's degree in inner city studies from Northeastern Illinois University; she married Henderson Yarbrough; and

WHEREAS, At the time of her passing, Clerk Yarbrough was serving her second term as Clerk of Cook County; she was first elected in 2018, becoming the first woman and first African American to hold the office; during her tenure, she oversaw elections in suburban Cook County and maintained the county's vital records, such as birth, marriage, civil union, and death certificates; she also assumed all duties of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office when the position was eliminated in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough previously served as Cook County Recorder of Deeds from December 2012 to 2018; prior to that, she served as State Representative of Illinois' 7th District from 2001 until 2012, representing parts of the western suburbs of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was active in the Democratic Party, working for both the Cook County Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Illinois; she served as a committeeperson, representing west suburban Proviso Township, and treasurer for the former and as a member of the State Central Committee for the latter; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough also worked as a licensed real estate broker and was the founder of the Hathaway Insurance Agency; and

WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was a dedicated public servant and a tireless legislator, serving in public office for more than two decades; she will be remembered as a trailblazer who inspired others through her work and dedication to Cook County and the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Clerk Yarbrough as an expression of our deepest sympathy.