Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough made a special presentation of Valentine’s Day treats on Tuesday to a Maywood resident who – at 111 years old – is Cook County’s oldest voter.
Yarbrough visited the home of Ms. Susie Lewis Tuesday afternoon to award her with a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, balloons, and a Valentine’s Day card to commemorate her decades’ love of democracy.
“It’s people like Ms. Susie Lewis who help to keep our democracy alive and well,” said Yarbrough. “Over the years, her votes in dozens and dozens of elections have shaped this county. We are so grateful for her commitment to the electoral process and her community.”
The Maywood centenarian was born in 1911 – nearly a decade before women’s right to vote was ratified by the 19th Amendment in 1920 – and has been an eligible voter for over 93 years.
When asked why voting and turning out for your community is important, Ms. Lewis had to say, “If you’re able to vote – then you vote. You do the right thing because it does change things.”
Photos from the gathering, along with a page commemorating her commitment to democracy, will be included in the Clerk’s Office’s upcoming Post-Election Report.
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