Tanda Kaye White

Tanda Kay White, age 52, of Elkville, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, was received into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Wednesday evening, November 11, 2009, in St. Louis University Hospital, surrounded by her husband, children and loving family. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, November 14, 2009, at the Dowell Baptist Church with Rev. Gary Pate officiating and burial at DeSoto Cemetery. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Pettett Funeral Home and from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family. Tanya was born on December 31, 1956, in Madisonville, Kentucky, to John, Sr. and Vicky Plain. She met the love of her life, Michael Gene White in Carbondale, Illinois, and after three short weeks, completely stole his heart. They were united by God in marriage on July 7, 1979, in DeSoto, Illinois. Through the ups and downs, ins and outs, and the good and the bad of life, they shared 30 years of together. Their names were synonymous Mike and Tanda, Tanda and Mike. You could not say one without the other. She joyfully opened her heart to Michael's two daughters Sherry and Michelle, loving them unconditionally as though they were her own. They completed their family with the birth of their son, John, shortly after. Tanda was, in a word, exceptional. To all who had the privilege of knowing her, they could only describe her as unique--a one of a kind. From her love of flashy jewelry and fuzzy boots, to her extraordinary cooking ability, there was not much she couldn't do. But the most incredible gift she possessed was her enormous heart. She loved without measure and her forgiveness knew no bounds. Her capacity to give had no limits. No matter who you were and what you were going through, she could always be depended on to lend an ear or a helping hand. She loved her Lord and Savior with all of her being, and could frequently be found studying the word of God and preparing her Sunday School lessons. Her absence has left a void that can never be filled. And though our spirits rejoice in her freedom from pain, our hearts have forever been broken by a life gone too soon. We console ourselves in the knowledge that the brightest stars only burn for so long. They must then return to the hand that created them, having made the world that much brighter for being in it. She is survived by her husband and soul mate Michael Gene White of Elkville; son John White and wife Amanda of DuQuoin; daughters Sherry Jeschke and her husband Steven of Elkville and Michelle Davis and her husband Daniel Davis of Elkville; by her eight beloved grandchildren Andrew, Brooke, Gabrielle, Sarai, Abigail, Micah, Levi, and Alyssa, and numerous relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother John Plain, Jr.

Tanda Kaye White

December 31, 1956 - November 11, 2009