baby girl; she called her daughter Yanee’, which in Hebrew
means “He will answer.” When Yanee’ was seven weeks old,
Sonja took her to visit family in Lyons. “I ended up staying,”
said Sonja. “I lived with my great-aunt, who was like a
grandmother to me. I had a great support system here.”
That same year, Sonja’s forty-two-year-old mother
unexpectedly died of a massive heart attack. Yanee’ was only
seven months old at the time. The loss was devastating for
Sonja. Not long after losing her mother, she got involved in an
unhealthy relationship. For a second time, she found herself
single and pregnant. After the birth of her second daughter,
Ashley, Sonja was determined to break free from what she
recognized as a generational cycle of unhealthy relationships.
And with God’s help, she did just that.
Sonja met the challenges of being the single parent of two
little girls head-on. She worked full-time at Oxford, part-time
at Bi-lo, and took night classes to work toward finishing her
degree. When she became reacquainted with Carlos Eason,
who was someone she had dated years earlier, she knew the
relationship was different than the relationships she had had
in the past. In January 2000, Sonya and Carlos were married.
Four-year-old Yanee’ and two-year-old Ashley not only gained
a father but also a big brother, Carlos’s son, Brandon. Over the
next few years, the family grew
twice more with the birth of
Sonja and Carlos’s son Carlos, Jr.,
and daughter Cari.
While raising a family
and working full time, Sonja
continued to work toward her
degree. In 2003, at the age of
62 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE
LEFT Honoring Sonja's
predecessor, Councilman Ben
Mitchell.
OPPOSITE PAGE When Sonja
stepped into her new role as
Councilwoman, she was excited
to continue the work Mr.
Mitchell had started–especially
at Vince Faison Park.