Teresina "Teresa" Antonia Benedetti Antonelli
Teresina “Teresa” Antonia Benedetti Antonelli of Silt Mesa died Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003. She was 99.
She was born Jan. 3, 1904, in Berwind, to Carolina and Giovanni “John” Benedetti, the second of eight children. She spent her early years in Delagua, a mining camp in southern Colorado. The family returned to Italy for a short period, and then moved back to the United States when she was 6. In 1915, the family moved to a farm on Silt Mesa.
She married August Antonelli on Aug. 26, 1922, In Glenwood Springs.
They spent their lives farming on Silt Mesa.
Mrs. Antonelli also loved cooking, gardening, crocheting, painting and writing poetry. She loved to travel and she never met a stranger.
She was a devoted Catholic, and her earthly treasures were her children.
Twins run in the family. Two of her children, Patrick Antonelli and Patricia Noel, are twins, and Mrs. Antonelli counted two sets of twins among her grandchildren and two sets of twins among her great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; and by daughters MaryEllen Piffer and Katherine Graves.
Mrs. Antonelli is survived by sons and daughters-in-law John and Betty Antonelli of Grand Junction, Robert “Bob” and Gail Antonelli of Silt, Lawrence “Larry” and Glenda Antonelli of Silt, Thomas “Tom” and Earlene Antonelli of Norwood, and Patrick and Sue Antonelli of Silt; by daughters and sons-in-law Caroline “DeDe” and Robert Zarlingo of Silt, Lois and Warren Jewell of Parachute, and Patricia and Tom Noel of Lenexa, Kan.; by a sister, Rose Pilati of Glenwood Springs; by a brother, Louie Benedetti of Glenwood Springs; and by 28 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
A Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. tonight, Jan. 12, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rifle.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rifle.
Burial will follow at Rosehill Cemetery in Rifle.
Rifle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial donations may be made to the personal needs fund at E. Dene Moore Nursing Home in Rifle.
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