Elfriede Hesselberth

Elfriede lived a full life that traversed two continents. Born in a small town in southern Germany, she was the 4th of 8 children. She spent her childhood living through World War 2, which she and her family were fortunate to survive.  Elfriede had a great love of life and adventure, that included immigrating to the United States when she was 18, not knowing a word of English.  Following her arrival, she took a job as a nanny in Chicago, sang in a church choir and started her family. Full of tenacity and a strong work ethic she operated an in-home day care center for over 30 years, and did she ever love those children! She had a special fondness and talent for flower gardening, and won awards for her beautiful home gardens.  She touched many lives with her purity of heart, generosity and compassion. She was always there to help a friend or community member in need. She had a big soft spot for animals and cared for numerous cats and dogs over the years, taking in many strays who needed shelter.  She loved to cook German food, and bake cakes and cookies, often hosting large dinner parties to offer her delicious meals to others. She had a lifelong love and talent for playing music, and played numerous instruments. She was an especially passionate recorder player, playing beautiful music for her church and friends. Her Christian spiritual faith was very strong and she knew the angels were looking out for her, especially during difficult times. She is survived by her 3 children Ingrid (partner Rob), Vilia (partner Dan), and Sam (spouse Christy), and beloved grandchildren Alexandra, Arianna, Oliver, Emma, Charlotte and Emerson. She will be greatly missed. Celebration of Life for Elfriede will be held at a later date.

In leiu of flowers, please donate to an animal shelter of your choice.