Lisa Monae Bearden

Lisa Monae Bearden, 34, of Metamora, passed away on Friday, October 14, 2016 at 11:58pm at the OSF St. Francis Medical Center Oncology Unit, after a hard fought battle against triple negative breast cancer She was surrounded by friends and family filling her room with love. Lisa is survived by her mother Kristi Bearden; sister Lauren Bearden; grandmother Zola Sheely; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her father David Scott Bearden; maternal grandfather Darrell Sheely; paternal grandparents, David and LaVon Bearden; uncle Cecil Streeter; aunt Linda Streeter, and her cousin Stephania Streeter Rogers. Lisa was born on August 15, 1982 in Peoria. She was a fighter her whole life, pushing through the crippling pain of rheumatoid arthritis since she was 4. Her toughness and bravery were like no other and her internal strength was unparalleled. She never let anything stop her from doing everything she could, to the point that even others could forget that she was doing the same thing they were doing. Those same things were a lot harder for her, but she did them anyway. Lisa found adventure in all places, and never let anyone or anything confine her free spirit. She was blessed she was able to accomplish what she could during her short time on this earth, leaving her mark on so many people’s hearts. She was a gifted artist and creative despite her severe disability; the painstaking work she put into her pieces shows through. She loved art, music, martial arts and visiting state parks. A fuzzy animal could always bring a smile to her face. While she put up a tough exterior, there isn’t a person that knew Lisa that didn’t see her beautiful light that shown from within. She would do anything she could to help a friend in need, and even through her pain, she always found humor in life and could always be counted on to give you a good laugh. In Lisa’s own words: “Life has dealt me some pretty messed up stuff over time. All I know is that I’ve made it this far. I hope I can persevere though the rest of it and make the very best of what I get.” (June 2000). She did just that, living and dying in true Lisa style. She will be greatly missed and forever in our hearts. An open house celebration of Lisa’s life will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 1-5pm at the Washington VFW, 300 Zinser Place, Washington. Deiters Funeral Home & Crematory, Washington is assisting the family with cremation services. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Lisa to the Arthritis Foundation, www.arthritis.org or the Illinois CancerCare Foundation at, www.illinoiscancer.com.

Lisa Monae Bearden

August 15, 1982 - October 14, 2016