Carolyn G. Mink

Carolyn G. (Shaw) Mink, age 59, of Oneida, formerly of Urbana, Illinois, died on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at home surrounded by her family after an admirable fight against inflammatory breast cancer. Cremation has been accorded. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 18, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altona, Illinois from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Funeral services are set for 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 19, 2018, also at Immanuel with private burial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mink Family Memorial, OSF Hospice, or Immanuel Lutheran Church. Carolyn was born on August 10, 1958 in Galesburg, Illinois to Charles and Audrey (Nelson) Shaw of Oneida. After graduating from ROVA High School, she went on to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education from Iowa State University. Carolyn married Barry Mink from Galesburg on August 16, 1986 and they had two lovely daughters, Lauren, 25, and Alison, 22. She was employed in jobs varying from speech therapy assistant in Joliet, Illinois, to teaching third grade at Victoria Grade School, to Administrative Secretary at Lincoln Trails Library Systems in Champaign, to teaching toddlers at Mom’s Morning Out in Urbana, to Homeschooling her two daughters, and finally to working as an Office Support Specialist at the University of Illinois’ New Student Programs, Office of the Dean of Students. Carolyn was a lover of nature, gardening, swimming, knitting, reading, and Downton Abbey. She loved walking, Fox Lake-like days, and the call of the loon. Survivors include her husband, Barry; daughters, Lauren and Alison; parents, Charles and Audrey (Nelson) Shaw of Oneida; siblings: Willard Shaw (Brenda) of Oneida, Marie Shaw (Colleen) of Coupeville, Washington, and Ione (Shaw) Arends (Dick) of Austin, Texas; and nieces: Jessica (Shaw) Enervold (Kyle), Ellie and Abbey Arends; nephews: Alex Shaw and Max Arends; great-nephew, Jordan Enervold; and many beloved cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Irving and Nellie Shaw of Oneida, and Kenneth and Margaret Nelson of Altona. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Carolyn G. Mink please visit our Sympathy Store.