RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING MATTIE HARRIS ON CELEBRATING HER 107TH BIRTHDAY
WHEREAS, Mattie Harris, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother, and 9th Ward resident will celebrate her 107th birthday on November 23, 2021; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this joyous occasion by the Honorable Anthony Beale, Alderman of the 9th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Mattie was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was the second of four children, and attended Lucy Flowers Seminary all-girls boarding school near her home; in 1939, Mattie migrated to the South Side of Chicago, where she lived in what she affectionately calls the "Big House" at 45th Street and Vincennes Avenue in Bronzeville; and
WHEREAS, Mattie has a servant's heart and dreamt of becoming a nurse, but because such programs were not open to Black people, she did the next best thing and became a Nurse's Aide and for 35 years she helped take care of sick children in pediatric units at the Cook County Hospital; after retiring from the County, she continued her passion for service and took a position at Larabida Hospital, working into her 70s - to this day she still receives cards, calls, and visits from former colleagues; and
WHEREAS, During her working days and well past them, Mattie was an active member in the Order of the Eastern Star, serving many years alongside her sister; community activities and programs were some of her passions, and she worked diligently to improve her community until her retirement from active membership in her 80s; and
WHEREAS, Mattie raised four children and was always, and continues to be, a pillar of strength for her family including her seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, When she is not amazing her family with stories about how things were back in the day, she is watching Pastor Meeks of Salem Baptist Church on TV, who blessed her with a $105 gift on her 105th birthday, enjoying lunch at Pearl's Place, playing bingo, and participating in all the activities hosted at her home in the Roseland Place Senior Apartments, which she has resided in since the building's opening; and
WHEREAS, The 9th Ward is grateful for its senior community and hopes Mattie will continue to share her experiences and provide her wisdom to us all; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, gathered here this seventeenth day of November, 2021, do hereby congratulate Mattie Harris on her 107th birthday, and wish her continued happiness and success in all of her future endeavors; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to Mattie Harris as a sign of our esteem, honor, and respect.
ANTHONY BEALE Alderman, 9th Ward