SR0909LRB103 40219 JDS 72123 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough,
4who passed away on April 7, 2024; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was born on August 22, 1950; she
6earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from
7Chicago State University and her Master of Arts in Inner City
8Studies from Northeastern Illinois University; she and her
9husband, Henderson, have been longtime Maywood residents and
10active members of their community; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was a beloved leader, a dedicated
12public servant, and a tireless legislator who was serving her
13second term as Clerk of Cook County at the time of her passing,
14leaving behind a career that spanned local and state politics
15for over three decades; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was first elected Clerk of Cook
17County in 2018, becoming the first woman and first African
18American to hold the office; she oversaw elections in suburban
19Cook County and maintained the county's vital records, such as
20birth, marriage, civil union, and death certificates; she was
21credited with implementing sweeping changes throughout the
22office, including a complete modernization of election voting

 

 

SR0909- 2 -LRB103 40219 JDS 72123 r

1equipment and enhancements to the entire voting process for
2suburban voters; and
 
3    WHEREAS, During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in
42020, Clerk Yarbrough successfully managed a first-of-its kind
5government consolidation by assuming all duties of the former
6Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office into the operations of
7the Clerk's Office; she was noted for her commitment to
8accuracy, efficiency, advocacy, and cybersecurity, resulting
9in groundbreaking initiatives in programming and technology;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough previously served as Cook County
12Recorder of Deeds from December 2012 to 2018; prior to that,
13she served as State Representative of Illinois' 7th District
14from 2001 until 2012, representing parts of the western
15suburbs of Chicago; and
 
16    WHEREAS, During her tenure in the Illinois House of
17Representatives, Clerk Yarbrough served as an Assistant
18Majority Leader and as a leader of the Black Caucus and
19sponsored many landmark pieces of legislation, including the
20law that abolished the death penalty in the State, one of the
21nation's first cyberstalking laws, and the Smoke Free Illinois
22Act; and
 

 

 

SR0909- 3 -LRB103 40219 JDS 72123 r

1    WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was active in the Democratic
2Party, working for both the Cook County Democratic Party and
3the Democratic Party of Illinois; she served as a
4committeeperson for the Cook County Democratic Party,
5representing west suburban Proviso Township, and also served
6as treasurer; she was a member of the State Central Committee
7for the Democratic Party of Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Outside of politics, Clerk Yarbrough was a
9licensed real estate broker and the founder of the Hathaway
10Insurance Agency; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Clerk Yarbrough was a wife, a mother, a sister,
12an aunt, a mentor, and a trailblazer; as a public servant, she
13remained committed to social and economic justice, serving as
14a champion of women's rights and a defender of the
15underprivileged; she will be remembered for leading an
16incredibly impactful life while serving the people of Illinois
17with steadfast devotion; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
20Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough and extend our sincere
21condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
22her; and be it further
 

 

 

SR0909- 4 -LRB103 40219 JDS 72123 r

1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Clerk Yarbrough as an expression of
3our deepest sympathy.