Denena A. Young

Denena A. Young, nee Lee, 57, of O’Fallon, IL, born Saturday, December 24, 1966, in Champaign, IL, passed away Saturday, March 16, 2024 at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, IL.

Denena worked as a Social Worker for IL DCFS where she happily retired after 30 plus years of servitude to children and families alike. She was a member of the Champaign Urbana Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta where she embraced a lifelong sisterhood of envisioned women. Denena had an uncanny sense of creativity and thoroughly enjoyed making custom gift baskets and decorating for various events. She was a woman of God and was passionate about serving the Lord through the talents she was blessed with. Denena was a self proclaimed chef whose cooking was known to make mouths water and guarantee full bellies. She lived life to the fullest and was dearly loved by everyone she encountered.

She was preceded in death by her:

• Father:  Joe Lee

Surviving are her:

• Daughter: Chelsie (John) Schlereth of O’Fallon, MO
• Mother: Karen, nee Beckrum, Lee of Champaign, IL
• Sister: Shantae Lee of Champaign, IL
• Brothers:
  • Joe (Whitney) Mapson of Thornton, CO
  • Joseph (Kristin) Mapson of Wilmington, NC
  • Christopher Lee of Arlington, TX
  • Tony Mapson of Champaign, IL
  • Lionel Mapson of Champaign, IL
• Granddaughters:
  • Jamesyn Schlereth
  • Chandler Schlereth
• Dear aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Memorials: Memorials may be made to the Siteman’s Cancer Center.

Services: Private family interment.