North Cook News

The Rolling Meadows City Council honored longtime public servant Eunice Semple at its Feb. 14 meeting.

Council issued a special proclamation to Semple to mark her retirement from the Library Board of Trustees after decades of service. Semple was one of the first 100 people to live in Rolling Meadows, buying her home in 1953 and residing in the city ever since. She has served on the Library Board for 40 years and has been a witness to the development of the library, community, and city over several decades.

Semple was also an original member of the Friends of the Library and helped to organize both a book drive and a $1 donation-per-household fundraiser to help develop the Rolling Meadows Library. She has since worked with the library in multiple roles for 64 years ever since the facility's conception and leading up to the opening of its new, larger facility on Martin Lane to house a collection of over 188,000 items. Semple was also known for participating in many community events and would represent the local library by riding her three-wheeled bicycle in parades.

Semple is still an active volunteer at age 96, leading the Longmeadow Senior Center's Fit and Fun group three times a week. 

Rolling Meadows Mayor Joe Gallo proclaimed April 27 to be Eunice Semple Day in honor of her lifetime of service and achievements. Several Library Board members also spoke on Semple's impact, thanking her for her decades of community service and promising that the library would continue to grow and thrive because of her efforts.

"The entire City Council and I, on behalf of staff and citizens of Rolling Meadows, have really made us want to express our sincere appreciation to Eunice for her service, her loyalty, her inspiration, her dedication, and her volunteerism to the city of Rolling Meadows over the past 64 years," Gallo said. "We wish you much happiness and health as you begin your new chapter in life. So congratulations to you."