T

anya

Tanya Lynette SanfordDecember 4, 1972 - October 12, 2016

T hank you for acknowledging our pain and sharing our grief. We are grate-ful to all who have expressed sympathy and concern; it has greatly light-

ened this burden of sorrow. We ask that you continue to keep us in your hearts and in your prayers.

The Family of Tanya Sanford

PallbearersTre Jones Marlon Sanford Jalen JonesMelik Simpson Otis Tally Roderick Johnson

Honorary PallbearersCedric Sanford Louis Sanford Roderick BoldenMilton Tally Arlington Tally Bennie Tally

IntermentSunset Garden of Memory Cemetery

3230 Cemetery Road, Millstadt, IL 62260

RepastImmediately following Interment

ArrangementsSerenity Memorial Funeral and Cremation Services

serenitymemorialchapel.com

Obituary and Life VideoPamela Bolden, Bolden Communications, LLC

boldencommunicationsllc.com

Tanya Lynette SanfordDecember 4, 1972 - October 12, 2016

ServicesNoon, Thursday, October 20, 2016

Victory Church St. Louis, 1400 Camp Jackson Road, Cahokia, Ill. 62206

PreludeProcessional

ScripturesOld Testament - Dr. Curtis Levingston, Pastor,

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, East St. Louis New Testament - Glenn ReevesElder, Victory Church St. Louis

Prayer

Selection Renee Smith, Soloist

Acknowledgements

Reading of Condolences

Brief Remarks The Honorable James Clayborne Illinois State Senator and Cousin

Lena Edley-Dye Principal, Vivian Adams Early Childhood Center

Michele Henry-McGee President, Jack and Jill of America, Inc.-East St. Louis Chapter

Robin Carey-Boyd

Soror, Friend, CoWorker, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.East St. Louis Chapter

Cheryl Sanford, Sister-In-Law Wanda Broussard, Friend

SelectionLeslie Johnson, Soloist

Brief RemarksPulpit Ministers

SelectionVictory Church Choir

Eulogy Dr. Donald Sanford

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, St. Louis Brother-In-Law

Selection Victory Church Choir

Closing Prayer Benediction Recessional

T an never thought you couldn’t. With her, anything and everything was possible. For example, it didn’t

seem odd to her that she would, within months, graduate from college, get married and then as a newlywed, leave home to return to college to earn a master’s degree. She did

all of that. Her 43 years of life were full, vibrant,

accomplished, happy and abundantly blessed.

She Did it AllTanya Lynette Bolden was the second of two girls born to the union of Richard Jr. and Fannie (Tally) Bolden on December 4, 1972 in Centreville Township Hospital, Centrev-ille, Illinois. The Lord called her home as she slept on Wednesday, October 12, 2016.

Tan grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, and was educated in East St. Louis School District 189. She was awarded a 1987-1988 Certificate of Merit from Who’s Who Among American High School Students and was a 1990 graduate of Lincoln Senior High.

While still very young, she accepted Christ and was baptized at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where the late Reverend John H. Rouse was her pastor. There Tan served as a youth usher and was in the Sunshine Band. She recently joined Vic-tory Church St. Louis, in Cahokia, Illinois.

Labors of LoveTan married the love of her life, Carlos Sanford,

on July 20, 1996. She was so proud of their two

sons, Carlos “CJ” Jr., born in 1999, and Tyler,

who was born in 2002. The family lived in Bel-

leville, Illinois for three years, before moving to

O’Fallon, Illinois, where they have lived for the

past 13 years.

She earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree in

1996 and a Master of Language Arts in 1998

from Western Illinois University, in Macomb.

Speech-language pathologist was the perfect

profession for Tan. It allowed her to use her me-

ticulously analytical nature to help the children she

loved achieve great outcomes. From 1997 to 1999,

she was employed by the Madison School District;

and for the last 16 years, in School District 189 at

the Vivian D. Adams Early Childhood Center. She also

worked part-time for the RehabCare and Kindred

Hospital Rehabilitation Services as a speech-language

pathologist.

Mercy, MercyTan loved being a wife, a mother, a Delta

Sigma Theta Sorority member, who was

initiated into the Epsilon XI Chapter and

an active member of the East St.

Louis chapter; and secretary for the

East St. Louis Chapter of Jack and Jill

of America, Incorporated. Like her

mother, she loved shopping. And like

her grandmother Mamie Bolden, she

was known to work the phrase, “Mercy,

Mercy.” Above all, she was dedicated

to being the best mom possible to CJ

and Tyler. She never missed a teaching

opportunity that would help build their

character, and instill principles she and

her husband valued. She was tireless, invest-

ing great time and energy so that her boys

could participate in cultural, sporting or

educational opportunities. Along with being

friendly and always willing to help, Tan was

driven, loving, thoughtful, hardworking – and

always put God first.

A Family MournsTan was preceded in death by maternal grandparents Margaret Tally and Milton Tally, Sr. and paternal grandparents Richard Sr. and Mamie (Clayborne) Bolden.

Left to mourn the loss of her smiles and bright personality the most are her husband of 20 years, Carlos Sr.; sons Carlos Jr. (CJ) and Tyler; her parents Richard and Fannie Bolden of Fairview Heights, Ill.; sister Francea Bolden, of Hazelwood, Mo.; aunts Diane Bolden (Hollis) Taylor of Greeley, Co., Pamela Bolden, of East St. Louis, Ill., Margaret Marie Tally of Troy, Ill., Dolores (James) Johnson and Beverly Tally, of Chicago, Ill.; uncles Milton (Sharon) Tally, of Florissant, Mo., Roderick Bolden, of O’Fallon, Ill., Arlington (Emily) Tally, of Fairview Heights, Ill., Bennie (Tamara) Tally, of O’Fallon, Ill., Otis (Tina) Tally, of Belleville, Ill., Frederick Tally, of East St. Louis, Ill., and Michael (Janet) Tally of Chicago, Ill; her mother-in-law Bettye Sanford, of Swansea, Ill.; brothers-in-law the Rev. Donald (Cheryl) Sanford, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, Louis Sanford (Gail), of Casa Grande, Ariz., and Cedric (Angela) Sanford, of Swansea, Ill.; sister-in-law, Leyla (David) Harrell of Alton, Ill.; and a host of great aunts, great uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.