Amelia "Millie" Rose Giese

Amelia (Millie) Rose Ede Giese, 88, of Hubbard, IA, formerly of Belvidere, IL, passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 11, 2026. She was born October 29, 1937, in Belvidere, IL. She was the eldest of three children to Milton and Janis (Breitwieser) Ede.

She graduated from Belvidere High School in 1955. Millie met her future husband, Donald (Don) at a dance in Beloit, Wisconsin. They later married at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Belvidere on July 2, 1966 and then settled into their new house on 9th Avenue.

Millie provided in-home child care for a number of years, then attended Rockford School of Practical Nursing where she earned her LPN in 1976. She worked in private homes attending to elderly patients and provided Hospice for many years. She loved her work caring for people as a nurse. She was also very close to her brother John and sister Aileen.

Don and Millie went on vacations every year, usually with a tour group. They visited many regions of the US and traveled internationally. Don and Millie loved to play card games with their friends and were active members of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Millie’s hobbies included crochet, reading late into the night, tending to her beloved cats and African violets, and feeding the neighborhood birds.  

Don and Millie moved to Hubbard, IA in 2018 to be closer to Don’s sister and niece. Don moved into the Hubbard Care Center in 2018 and Millie visited him every day where she enjoyed meals and spending time with him. She joined him at the Hubbard Care Center in 2020. She brought along her African violets to the care center and tended to all the center’s indoor plants. She insisted that the facility custodian collect rainwater for her to nourish all the facility’s plants. The staff has been amazed with her green thumb.

She is survived by her loving husband Donald, brother John Ede and his wife Sherry, sister-in-law Louise and her husband Robert, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and sister Aileen.

There will be a visitation Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. at Belvidere Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Belvidere, IL. A funeral service will begin at 1:00 P.M. Interment in Highland Garden of Memories in Belvidere, IL. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.belviderefh.com.