Birthday Resolution for Robbie Harris Y. Patton
WHEREAS, On July 8, 2018, Robbie Harris Y. Patton, a remarkably driven and altruistic individual, will joyfully celebrate her 100th birthday; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed body has been notified of this special event by the Honorable Roberto Maldonado, Alderman ofthe 26th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Born on July 8, 1918, in Clarksdale, Arkansas, Robbie was the adored daughter of Elemeater Nelson Harris and Frank Harris. She was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee where she attended Booker T. Washington High School. She moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1936, following her high school graduation; and
WHEREAS, Robbie was skilled in cosmetology services as she was a trained hair dresser. She also attended the Kelley Massages Institute. She worked as a massage therapist at Kaplan's Community Center in Skokie, Illinois before getting a job at Crane Packing Company in Morton Grove, Illinois. She worked many dedicated years at Crane Packing before retiring in 1969; and
WHEREAS, At age fifteen Robbie joined Newport First Baptist Church. Her faith followed her to First Baptist Congregational Church in Chicago where she has been a member for fifty-five years. She is a beloved leader of the church and also has served on the Mothers Board; and
WHEREAS, Robbie was an engaged community member and volunteered her time to many organizations. She was a volunteer for Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly Chicago Chapter for more than twenty-seven years. She was also a member of the Nonagenarians Family, a volunteer for the Girl Scouts of America and a volunteer for Battered Women and Wayward Girls; and
WHEREAS, When Robbie is not volunteering, she can be found sewing or reading a book by one of her favorite authors, such as Danielle Steel or Maya Angelou. Robbie also is an avid traveler. She has visited several countries, such as Jamaica and Bermuda, and twelve states; and
WHEREAS, Having witnessed over seventeen presidents in her lifetime, Robbie is not only a wealth of knowledge but a truly cultured individual. In recognition of the rich history to which Robbie has witnessed and contributed to, the Chicago City Council believes that Robbie is deserving of adulation and good wishes as she celebrates her 100th birthday; and
WHEREAS, Robbie will celebrate her birthday in the presence of friends and family. She will carry with her the spirit of her late husband, Johnnie Patton, and her late son, Bobbie M. Reese; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-seventh day of June, 2018, do hereby congratulate Robbie Harris Y. Patton on her 100th birthday and extend our very best wishes for many more birthdays.