1. Tanya
Tanya Lynette Sanford
December 4, 1972 - October 12, 2016
Thank 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 Jones
Melik Simpson Otis Tally Roderick Johnson
Honorary PallbearersCedric Sanford Louis Sanford Roderick Bolden
Milton Tally Arlington Tally Bennie Tally
IntermentSunset Garden of Memory Cemetery
3230 Cemetery Road, Millstadt, IL 62260
RepastImmediately following Interment
Arrangements
Serenity Memorial Funeral and Cremation Services
serenitymemorialchapel.com
Obituary and Life Video
Pamela Bolden, Bolden Communications, LLC
boldencommunicationsllc.com
Tanya Lynette Sanford
December 4, 1972 - October 12, 2016
Services
Noon, Thursday, October 20, 2016
Victory Church St. Louis, 1400 Camp Jackson Road, Cahokia, Ill. 62206
Prelude
Processional
Scriptures
Old Testament - Dr. Curtis Levingston, Pastor,
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, East St. Louis
New Testament - Glenn Reeves
Elder, 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
Selection
Leslie Johnson, Soloist
Brief Remarks
Pulpit Ministers
Selection
Victory Church Choir
Eulogy
Dr. Donald Sanford
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, St. Louis
Brother-In-Law
Selection
Victory Church Choir
Closing Prayer
Benediction
Recessional

2. 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 All
Tanya 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 Love
Tan 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, Mercy
Tan 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 Mourns
Tan 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.