Catherine Stokes facts for kids

Catherine Stokes is a very important African-American member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She also used to be a leader at the Illinois Department of Public Health and spends a lot of time helping her community as a volunteer.

Stokes was born in Doloroso, Mississippi. She was the youngest of six children in a family of farmers who shared their crops with the landowner. After a tough childhood, Stokes moved to Chicago when she was five years old to live with a great aunt. She lived in Chicago for most of her life. She was the first person in her family to graduate from college. She studied at the Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing. She also earned a college degree in nursing from DePaul University.

While on a work trip in Hawaii, Stokes visited the Laie Hawaii Temple. She filled out a visitor card there. Later, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited her in Chicago. She started attending her local church group. Stokes joined the church through baptism on April 28, 1979. This happened at the church's meetinghouse in Hyde Park, Chicago. She continues to speak up for people from minority groups in the Church. She is seen as a trailblazer for African-Americans in the Church.

Helping Her Community

Stokes has done a lot of volunteer work and helped many groups. She was a leader on the board of the Chicago Inner City Youth Charitable Foundation for 16 years. She also served on the board of a health foundation in Utah. She was a board member for the Salt Lake City Public Library. She was also asked to join a group that advises the Deseret News newspaper. She is also a member of the Utah chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. This group studies African-American history and family trees.

Her Life Today

Stokes has one daughter. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.