Several services at the Cook County Clerk's Office, including creating and distributing paper copies of birth, death and marriage certificates were delayed following the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough.
Yarbrough passed away Sunday afternoon, days after she had been hospitalized with a "serious medical condition" and was undergoing treatment. She was elected as the county's first African American and female clerk in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Before that, she served as the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and as Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives.
A visitation for Yarbrough is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, at the Grace Central Church located at 10216 Kitchner in Westchester. A memorial service is set to be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, located at 5850 Woodlawn Ave. in Chicago
According to the City of Chicago, the Cook County Clerk is responsible for the management of suburban Cook County elections. The position also oversees the systems for birth, death and marriage certificates for all of Cook County, manages Economic Disclosure and campaign finance report filing, handles real-estate tax services and more.
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"The Cook County Clerk's office serves as the official record keeper for births, marriages and deaths that occur in Chicago and suburban Cook County," the city's website said. "The Clerk's Bureau of Vital Statistics division provides copies of these documents for eligible individuals upon request."
A spokesperson for the Clerk's office on Thursday told NBC Chicago that the office was presently, "temporarily unable to provide paper copies of birth, death and marriage certificates."
"In the wake of the death of Clerk Yarbrough, the Clerk's Office is required to change the name of the official signatory on certified vital records documents pursuant to state law requirements," the spokesperson said. "The office is currently working to expedite this process."
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The spokesperson added the office is working with the Illinois Department of Public Health and other officials to "securely upgrade the certification process" and restore services as quickly as possible.
The Clerk's office will continue to register birth and death records from funeral homes, hospitals and other institutions through an online portal, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson stressed that marriage licenses could still be obtained in person at the Clerk's downtown and suburban offices, as well as on the Clerk's website.
According to recent Census data, Cook County is the most populous county in the state of Illinois, with a total population of 5,087,072 people.
