Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Helen Joyce Westerby

Helen Joyce Westerby, 93, formerly of Trivoli, passed away on Sunday, March 3, 2024, under care of Vitas hospice at Cornerstone Rehab and Healthcare in Peoria Heights. Born January 23, 1931, to Leroy and Geraldine Collins, she married Richard "Dick" Westerby on May 15, 1948. Dick preceded her in death in 2012. Also preceding her in death are her parents, one son, James Westerby, one daughter, Cynthia Duley and son-in-law Robert Duley, her brother, Gene Collins, and every one of the beloved kitty-cats that she had the honor of sharing her life with. Surviving Helen are four daughters: Kelly Westerby, Joanna Shearer, Stacey (Ken) Strange, and Andrea {Brett) Craft. She is also survived by grandchildren Craig Duley, Shannon Duley, LaTisha (Greg) Osman, Samuel (Betsy) Shearer, Jackson Shearer, five great-grandchildren: Gracie, Ellie, and Landry Duley, lselle Valdez, and Elijah Appenheimer; and other extended family.


Helen belonged to the Trivoli Methodist Church and early on was active in Evening Circle, prayer groups, baking, and making Spoon River Drive dumplings. She was an avid crafter, fully investing into making fabric-covered photo albums, fad crafts, cake decorating classes, and anything for the church bazaars. She sometimes grumbled, having to make large meals every night for the family, and often said "It's not done until the smoke alarm goes off!", to which she would have one of the girls fan it until it shut off.


In later years, after emptying the nest, she discovered the beauty of flower and plant gardening. She would select new varieties and bring them home with the garden accents she had found, promptly carving out a space to plant them. She enjoyed watering them and watching the bees, butterflies, and hummingbird’s flirter amongst the blossoms. She was also a great believer in feeding wild birds and the squirrels, often watching them for hours.


Graveside service will be held at 1:30 PM on Monday, March 11, 2024 at Trivoli Cemetery in Trivoli, IL Rev. Kevin Van Tine will officiate. Memorials may be sent to Trivoli Cemetery District, PO Box 83 Trivoli, IL 61569, or Logan-Trivoli Fire/Rescue. To leave an online condolence you may go to www.sedgwickfuneralhomes.com

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