Audrey Louise O'Donnell

Audrey Louise O'Donnell, 83, of Auburn, IL, passed away on October 9, 2022, at Auburn Rehabilitation & Health Care Center in Auburn. She was born on October 5, 1939, in Palestine, IL, the daughter of Ralph Biggs & Frances (Gill) Lewis, both of whom preceded her in death. She married Robert O'Donnell in June of 1978, and he preceded her in death on February 4, 2001. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Donna (Biggs) Dunlap, and her niece, Sherry Hesh.

She is survived by her brother-in-law & sister, Paul & Norma Jean (Biggs) Parker (Amarillo, TX); by her niece, Susan (Dunlap) Hesh (Cedar Lake, IN); by her nephews & nieces-in-law, Ralph & Nelda Dunlap (Charleston, IL) and Franklin Dunlap (Cedar Lake, IN); by her great-nieces, Amber Dunlap, Kathleen Dunlap, and Brittnay Dunlap; by her great-nephews, Anthony Hesh, Thomas Hesh, and Robert Dunlap; and by her cousins, Barbara (Wright) Steinhour, Wilma (Renchen) Burton, and Sue (Gill) Shaffer.

A 1957 graduate of Palestine High School, Audrey would spend a number of years as a homemaker before co-managing Eden's Hotel in Chicago with her husband, Robert. They eventually moved to Mattoon, IL, where she worked as a clerk at Walgreens Pharmacy until 2002.

Much of her free time found Audrey on the move. A lover of travel, few things brought more life to her living than taking in the beauty of God's creation, and she was especially drawn to the sights of the southeastern U.S. She also made many wonderful memories driving around locally with her mother, who shared her daughter's passion for reading. Over the years, it's hard to fathom just how many Harlequin, gothic romance, and mystery novels Audrey enjoyed. She also relished those times spent with knitting needles in hand and loved nothing more than making afghans and other knitted treasures for those she treasured. They could attest to the fact that Audrey was a people-person who was so easy to talk to and get to know. She was always so intentional in her interactions with others and genuinely appreciated connecting with anyone who crossed her path.

The twilight years of her life found her playing music with a band comprised of her fellow assisted living residents in Mattoon. Together, they made a beautiful sound for many local events, and this was a great source of joy for her. However, the most important event from this period of her life was the day she publicly pronounced her abiding trust in Jesus through the act of baptism. Her words, "I'm going to Heaven!" now bring us a sense of hope and peace, as we know that on Sunday, Audrey found herself in the loving arms of her Heavenly Father.

A graveside will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 13th, at the Palestine Cemetery, with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to either the "Salvation Army" or to "Auburn Rehabilitation & Health Care Center", with envelopes available at the cemetery.