Alvin Harms, village clerk since 1988, resigned this week, ending 43 years of service to Steger.
The Village Board on Monday appointed Carmen “Tory” Recupito Jr., a village trustee since 1989, as Harms’ successor.
Village trustees also appointed Jim Johnson to serve the remaining two years of Recupito’s four-year term. Johnson, an incumbent trustee, was defeated April 13 in his re-election bid.
Harms said later that he and his wife are retiring to Belleville, Ill.
“I’ve been working since I was 14 years old,” Harms said after the Village Board meeting. “It’s about time to shed the yoke.”
Harms joined the Steger Fire Department in 1955 and later served as a trustee for many years before becoming clerk. He was praised by Steger president Lou Sherman, as “a good friend and a loyal member of Steger.”