Onecia C. Longley

With heavy hearts and deep love, we announce the passing of Onecia Couey Longley, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She departed this life peacefully, surrounded by those who cherished her most. Onecia was born on February 16, 1943, in Greasy Creek, Tennessee, to Cecil and Etheleen Couey, and was raised in the warmth of a close-knit family. From a young age, her life was marked by quiet strength, unwavering integrity, and deep faith. She was a proud graduate of Polk County High School, Class of 1961, and later attended the National School of Business, where she excelled with straight A's-setting the tone for a lifetime of diligence and excellence. She was a woman of remarkable commitment. Onecia retired in 2022 from Specialty Chemical Enterprises, after more than 50 years of dedicated service. Alongside her beloved husband, John Longley, she also co-owned and operated the Wondering Acres Dairy Farm for over five decades. She later held a secondary role with the Lewis Co. Auction Company until its closing, where her hard work and dependability earned the respect of all who worked beside her. A faithful Southern Baptist, Onecia lived her beliefs with humility and compassion. She was the heart of her family, always ready with a kind word, a comforting meal, or a helping hand. Her strength carried her through life's joys and hardships, including the profound loss of her daughter, Judy Lynn Longley, whose memory she held dear every single day. Onecia is survived by her devoted husband, John Longley; her children, John Tyler Longley and his wife Arlena Anne Longley, and Kimberley Anita Longley; and her grandchildren, John Thomas Lovell, Madeline Briant Longley, Cameron Joseph Gonyea, Brock Alexander Gonyea, and Garrett Adam Gonyea. She also leaves behind her loving sisters: Unareece Merrell, Leceita Cate, Evetia Kincaid, and Chenia Patterson. To know Onecia was to know steadiness, loyalty, and quiet grace. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the lives she touched, and the love she freely gave. Though she is no longer with us in body, her spirit remains in every gentle breeze, every shared story, and every act of kindness passed forward in her name. Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the chapel of Higgins Funeral Home of Benton, with Pastor Colton Powell officiating. Interment will follow at the Longley Family Farm, with family serving as pallbearers. Her family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, and one hour prior to the service on Thursday at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.HigginsFunerals.com. Arrangements entrusted to Higgins Funeral Home of Benton, 423-338-2834.