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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF LILLIE B. HARDY
WHEREAS, Lillie Bell Hardy, a beloved family matriarch, died on June 24, 2020 at the age of 96; and
WHEREAS, Lillie was born in Mt. Carmel, South Carolina, to Hester Leroy and Peter Martin. She had nine siblings, and attended public school in South Carolina. In 1946, Lillie moved to Evanston, Illinois, with her husband James Hardy and their two children; and
WHEREAS, upon moving to Evanston, at the age of twenty-three, Lillie quickly found her home as a member of the (Second Baptist) Bethany Baptist Church of Christ, where she sang in the choir for over fifty years. She was devoted to her church family, and attended service until hindered by her declining health. Later, Lillie served on the Mother’s Board of her church; and
WHEREAS, Lillie was employed at the Orrington Hotel, the Evanston Glass Factory, and finally, Shure Brothers, Inc. She also worked as a caregiver for the elderly, and continued to do so after her retirement from Shure, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Lillie’s many children and grandchildren remember her as bold, vivacious, and no-nonsense. She would often say, “Don’t take no wooden nickels.” Lillie was also fiercely protective of her loved ones, and she constituted the backbone of her family; and
WHEREAS, Lillie is survived by her loving children, James Edward Hardy and Mary Ann Johnson, her eight adored grandchildren, Lillian Wilkerson, Anthony Hardy, Dujuana Daniel, Linda-Renee Hardy, Darryl and Darryn Johnson, Todd Edward Hardy and Yolanda Hardy, fifteen great-grandchildren, and seventeen great-great-grandchildren. At 96 years old, having outlived all of her siblings, Lillie was the longest-surviving member of the Martin family.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, on behalf of the 5.2 million residents of Cook County, honors the life and contributions of LILLIE B. HARDY, and herewith expresses its sincere gratitude for the invaluable contributions she has made to the Citizens of Cook County, Illinois; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Body and that an official copy of the same be tendered to the family of LILLIE B. HARDY.
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