Sharon Kay Cornwell

Sharon Kay Cornwell, 74, of Palestine, IL, passed away on July 30, 2025, at Marshall Rehabilitation and Nursing in Marshall, IL. And while the calendar may say she was 74, those who knew her best will tell you she packed at least a hundred years of living into that time.

Born on April 4, 1951, in Palestine, Sharon grew up just down the street from where she’d one day hold court as the Queen of Local Gossip. She graduated from Palestine High School and went on to work a variety of jobs around the area, but none suited her spirit quite like her time at Ramsey’s News Agency. She was in her element there: gabbing with folks, selling papers, and catching up on who did what, when, and with whom. She would have done it for free. For years, she also served as a Palestine Township Trustee, stepping down only when she knew it was time. Responsibility mattered to her, even when her brand of responsibility came with a side of sass.

Her life was a mixture of good, bad, and downright hilarious. She loved to embarrass her family, especially by pulling out her teeth in public or letting a fart slip just to watch someone squirm. She was once at Wal-Mart when her debit card dropped...and so did her teeth. Her driving was its own adventure. Lead foot. Hard brakes. She once hit the railroad tracks so hard that the radio popped out! She’d blare Foolin’ by Def Leppard with the car top down like she owned the road (though if there was a storm anywhere nearby, she wasn’t going anywhere). Storms made her nervous. Always had.

Sharon could talk on the phone for hours about absolutely nothing. And that was her gift. She made you feel like nothing was something worth talking about. If she left the house to grab a pack of cigarettes, you could count on her being gone a while. Not because she got distracted, but because she knew she might run into someone who needed to talk. She was good at listening. She couldn’t always fix your problems, but she’d give you her time (and probably a few of her opinions while she was at it).

She had a way of giving, even when she didn’t have much. She’d find some old knick-knack or forgotten thing and hand it to the grandkids like it was a treasure. She was a collector of mostly-useless-thises-and-thats, much of it acquired in mysterious garage sales long past. She saw value where others saw junk. She picked up coins like they were gold, and once at Pat’s wedding in California, she kept finding them in the backyard, unaware that Julio was secretly tossing dimes and quarters just to mess with her. Payback, he claimed, for all the embarrassment the boys endured through the years.

She loved her family, her pets, her plants, and persimmons (not necessarily in that order). Her dog Wiggles was her sidekick, and she fed half the neighborhood’s cats like it was her civic duty. She was constantly weeding, gardening, and canning, and her persimmon pudding became the stuff of legend. She even sold her pulp to those lucky enough to get their hands on it.

She enjoyed a good game of Spades with family and friends, and she lived for Pat’s baseball games. She was their most enthusiastic (and sometimes embarrassing) fan. When she promised to shave her head if the team won the championship, she meant it...and followed through! She even once gave the team a whole demo on base running. Let’s just say it ended with a tumble and a cloud of dust. “Shamu-ed it,” they said. (She never claimed to be graceful.)

Sharon lived a real life. Messy. Funny. Tender. Loud. Sometimes heavy. Often generous. But always full of color.

She is survived by her sons & daughters-in-law, Matt “Julio” & Cara Stephens and Patrick & Andrea Lindley; her grandchildren, Kenzie Keeler & family, Aaliyah Lindley, and Alexander Lindley; her brother & sister-in-law, Gary & Carol McDaniel; her sister & brother-in-law, Roni & Bob Baker; and by several nieces and nephews who loved her deeply. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold & June McDaniel, and by her son, Nikki Stephens.

The family would like to thank the staff at Marshall Rehabilitation and Nursing for the excellent care and companionship they provided in Sharon’s final days. She loved “the girls” there, and they are the reason it felt like home.

A time of visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 2nd, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine. Funeral services will follow at 12:00 p.m., with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream of the service will be available at www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-stream/live-stream. The family requests that attendees dress informally in Sharon’s honor. Memorial contributions may be made to the NOW Program, with envelopes available at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Palestine Cemetery.