Carolyn Mills

Carolyn Mills, 78, of Ottawa, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 19, 2025, at LaSalle County Nursing Home.

A celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held in the spring of 2026. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.

Carolyn was born on October 11, 1947, in Kankakee, Illinois, to Richard and Marie (Falkenhan) Trombley. She married Darwin Spaulding in Kankakee in 1966 and later married Jay Mills. Carolyn made Ottawa her home for nearly 60 years.

She was well known in the community for her work as a photographer for the Daily Times in the late 1970s. Over the years, she also worked as the camera and jewelry department manager at K-Mart and later served as an administrator for Ottawa Pavilion and Rivershores. Carolyn had a genuine love for helping others, a quality that left a lasting impact on those around her. Her dedication to service was evident in her work at Friendship House—where she returned to serve twice during her lifetime.

Carolyn enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, including drinking coffee, reading, and spending time with her family, friends, and beloved cats. In her later years, she found joy in staying connected with others through Facebook, where she maintained many friendships.

She is survived by her children, Laura (Tracy) Degon of Florida and Andrew Spaulding (Brandy Broadus) of Ottawa; her grandchildren, Brittany Adams of Ottawa, Allison Spaulding of Florida, Zachariah Kopstad of Florida, Todd Broadus-Smith and Jessie Broadus of Ottawa; her great-granddaughter, Harper Grace Haage; her sister, Kristine Trombley of Bradley, Illinois; her half-sisters, Rachell Craddock of Kansas and Renee Martin of Oklahoma; her aunt, Diana (Milt) Linn of South Carolina; and many beloved friends, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Trombley Sr. and Marie Dziadzio; her brother, Richard Trombley Jr.; and her half-sister, Ronda Baker.