Sandra "Sandy" Keller

Sandra “Sandy” Keller, 78, of Flat Rock, IL, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on July 31, 2025. Though we mourn her passing, we take comfort in knowing that she did so peacefully and painlessly.

She was born on October 5, 1946, in Robinson, IL, and spent her earliest years on the family farm in Oblong. When she was ten, her father died, and the family moved to Robinson, where Sandy graduated from Robinson High School in 1964. That same grit she learned early on would become the foundation of a life built on strength and hard work.

Sandy worked a variety of jobs over the years, always doing whatever it took to provide for her family. She worked hard, not for recognition, but to make sure her kids had what they needed. That steady determination, that deep sense of responsibility, was just part of who she was.

But Sandy was more than her work. She was a woman of deep faith, baptized at Prairie Grove Church north of Oblong. She loved her Lord. She loved her family. She loved people, period. She didn’t know a stranger, and nobody left her presence without feeling like they mattered. Just ask her friends at the Flat Rock American Legion, where she was a longtime and active member of the post’s auxiliary.

Those who knew her best could attest to her green thumb and her soft spot for Elvis. And then there was her favorite vice: gambling. She’d light up at the mention of a casino trip, especially to Evansville. She didn’t mind taking a chance. That’s part of what made her fun!

Sandy believed in showing up, in sticking it out, in loving with your whole heart. And that’s exactly how she lived. If you needed someone in your corner, she was already standing there. She was the first call you made, the one who showed up, no matter what. She was the rock for her family through some incredibly hard times. She endured the loss of a husband, a son, and a grandson. But even in the face of heartache, she remained steady. Strong. Loving. Though life gave her some heavy loads to carry, but she never once buckled under the weight. She just kept going.

And now, it’s our turn.

To keep going. To stay strong. To show up for each other with that same kind of love. That’s how we keep her spirit alive: by choosing, even in our grief, to live with the same fierce, unshakeable love that carried us all through.

She is survived by her sons, Charles Richard Kinney, II (West Union, IL), Jay Edgar Kinney & Tracey Ferguson (Flat Rock, IL), and Ted L. & Brittany Kinney (Flat Rock, IL); by several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and by her siblings, Paulette Aper, Larry Vaughn, and Jane Moore (all of Pana, IL). She also leaves behind her half-sister, Theomae Smalley (Mt. Pleasant, MI); her half-brother, Merle Newman (Robinson, IL); many nieces and nephews; and her special friend, Gary Guyer.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Charles Richard “Butch” Kinney; her parents, John Frank Vaughn & Evelyn Agnes (Post) Vaughn; her parents-in-law, Lyman & Essie Kinney; her son, Bradley Lyman “Mouse” Kinney; her grandson, Briar Kinney; and her brothers, Ronald “Ronnie” Vaughn, Billy Vaughn, and Mike Newman.

A private graveside service will be held at a later date at Jones Cemetery. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Flat Rock is assisting the family with arrangements.