Helen Ernesti

March 20, 1927 - December 1, 2018

Helen Ernesti, 91, of Belvidere died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 in Rockford. Born March 20, 1927 in Chicago, the daughter of Dino and Josephine Danesi. Married Rolland Bieze in 1945 in Chicago, he preceded her on Dec. 5, 1958. She then married Lawrence Ernesti from 1966-1977. At a young age, Helen worked in a glove factory, sewing gloves for welders in the US Army. During her marriage to Rolland she worked at Bieze Brother Catering in Chicago and after moving to Marengo she worked at Marengo Ridge Golf Course as well as Coils in Huntley. Helen spent her time taking care of and enjoying time with her family and she dearly loved her fur baby Molly. Her favorite hobbies were making ceramics, crocheting afghans and doing crossword puzzles. Survivors include her four children, Joyce (Ronald) Bauman, Rolland Bieze, Jr., Warren (Debbie) Bieze and Kevin Ernesti; ten grandchildren, Kenneth (Beth) Bauman, Krista (Jason) Salcedo, Kelly (Brian) Pargman, Joseph (Megan) Bieze, Zachary and Jacob Bieze, Ashley (Andy) Altenhoff, Aaron Johnson, DJ and Lea Zimmerman; nine great-great-grandchildren, Randall and Renee Bauman, Alyssa and Tyler Salcedo, Austin and Skylar Pargman, Madison and Jordan Bieze and Hailey Altenhoff, many nieces and nephews and loving friend, Heidi Mains Zimmerman. Helen was preceded in death by her seven older siblings, Joseph, Gino, Caesar, Danny, Raymond Danesi and Joeseph and Edward Tarnow. Memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 9-11 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, 6821 Main Street, Union, IL. A celebration of life and memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. in the church. Donations in Helen’s memory may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Illinois, 1 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60602 or Northern Illinois Hospice, 4215 Newburg Rd., Rockford, IL 61108.