Saundra "Sandi" Lynn Oney Brown, 75, of 6867 State Route 152, DuQuoin IL, died at 10:42 a.m. Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from End Stage Renal Disease. She passed peacefully in her home surrounded by family.
Sandi was born on May 27, 1946, in Paintsville KY to Forrest and Georgene (Arrowood) Oney.
She first married Kenneth Brown in Canton, Ill. in December 1963, and later divorced. She married Michael Conlin in Galesburg, Ill. in July 1980 and later divorced. Both men preceded her in death.
Surviving her are five children, Karl (Lori) Brown of Shakopee, Minn., September Brown of St. Paul, Minn., Kane Brown of Lewistown, Ill., Serena Evans of S. St. Paul, Minn., and Sierra Brown of DuQuoin, Ill.
She is also survived by eight grandchildren; Shaundra and Benjamin Brower, Kayla Lawrence, Kristopher Brown, Danielle and Deidra Brown, Billy Evans III, and Leah Evans, as well as seven great-grandchildren; Zoe Lawrence, AnnaLeese Nordman, Kenslee Brown, Aurora Taylor, Oliver Brower, Owen Brown, and Amaris Ulibarri.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Forrest Lon Oney.
Sandi started married life as a homemaker and was a mother of five children by the time she was 23. After a divorce in 1974, she experienced many personal and financial hardships which eventually caused her to discover that she had developed an alcohol problem.
She then joined Alcoholics Anonymous which truly saved her life, and indeed provided purpose and direction to her career and a calling she followed to the very end of her days. Telling her story to other recovering alcoholics for 45 years allowed her to touch many lives and help them to find sobriety and put their own lives back together. She even hosted socially-distanced AA meetings in her yard during the COVID pandemic.
She went on to earn bachelor's degrees in both Chemical Dependency and Mental Health at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn. Between degrees, she interned at Casa de Esperanza, a shelter for Battered Women and their children in St. Paul, where she eventually became a full-time employee and helped manage the program for some years. She also worked as an office manager in a program that providing housing and care for the homeless with mental health issues. After getting her degrees and a counseling certification, she went to work for Cochran Recovery Services Detox Center where she counseled clients with a combination of mental health and chemical dependency issues.
Sandi loved to dance and taught many people how to swing, square and line dance throughout her life. Sandi collected bells and Native American art, was skilled at macrame, and loved to play board and card games with her family. She was an excellent storyteller, and we will dearly miss her laughter and mischievous smile when she told them.
Sandi was a devout Christian who attended Liberty Church of DuQuoin where she enjoyed worship services and particularly Bible studies.
Funeral services will be held at a later date and will be announced through Facebook.
Memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin is in charge of arrangements.