Obituary for
Erna Rosenfeld
Erna Rosenfeld passed away unexpectedly on September 30 in Bloomington, the city that she lived in for 48 years and loved dearly.
Erna was born in Terem, Romania on April 9, 1939. She emigrated to the United States with her family as a youngster and lived her first American years in Jersey City, N.J. Graduating from New Rochelle College with degrees in German and Psychology, she then pursued advanced graduate study in German at Brown University, where she met Alvin Rosenfeld, a fellow graduate student. They married in 1966 and moved to Bloomington two years later. Erna worked at IU for over 35 years, where she contributed her special touch of kindness, caring and compassion to thousands of students over the years.
Everyone who knew Erna found her an unusually warm and generous-hearted person, always willing to help others in need and never asking for anything in return for herself. She was widely known and universally liked for her inherent sweetness, gentleness, and goodness—qualities that were natural to her spirit and defined her soul.
Erna was devoted to Alvin, her husband of 50 years; her son Gavriel, daughter-in-law Erika, and their children Julia Hava and Benjamin Harel; and her daughter, Dalia, and her children: Natan Menachem, Gidon Shaul, and Adin Baruch.
A funeral service will take place in Valhalla Memory Gardens in Bloomington on Sunday, October 2, at 3 p.m. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Erna’s memory can be made to Congregation Beth Shalom, 3750 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47401.
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