Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

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Ielmini Mario 890110 p1
Community Pays Final Tribute to Leader Mario Ielmini, 86; The community paid its final respects Saturday morning to
longtime businessman and civic leader Mario Ielmini, who died Wednesday evening in a Modesto hospital following a
short illness.   He had noted his 86th birthday Dec. 23. A standing-room only gathering at Sacred Heart Catholic Church
where he had been a member, paid tribute to one of the brothers who founded Patterson's Frozen Foods, Inc.  He was
considered to be one of the pioneers in the frozen foods industry.  The company, founded by Mario and Alfonson Ielmini
in 1946 has grown to be the West Side's largest employer ( over 1000 people ) and processes some 250 million pounds of
frozen foods annually.  It is among the largest independently owned plants of this type in the country.  A native of Ferno
Italy, he immigrated to San Francisco in 1919, and there learned to speak English.  He moved to Patterson three years
later to work for the Patterson Bakery, and in 1919 bought the business with his brother, who had followed him to this
country.  It grew into a sizable business over the next 15 years.  When Mario's allergy to flour forced them to sell the
bakery business in 1945, they had already conceived the idea of freeing products, an idea born by freezing fruits used in
preparing fountain treats in their bakery.  Locally-packed frozen foods are now sold around the world.   In addition to his
successful businesses, Mario Ielmini was active in civic matter for many years.  He served for over 20 years in the
Patterson Volunteer Fire Department, and local firemen were on hand Saturday outside the church to pay tribute to a
leader who had given much of himself to the department over the years.  He also was a charter member of the Patterson
Planning Commission and its first chairman, and was a past president of the Patterson-Westley Chamber of Commerce.
He served two terms on the Patterson City Council, and one as the City's mayor.  He as a member of the Patterson Rotary
Club, the Elks Club of Modesto, Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, and was a former director of the Hanna Boys
Center.  He served for one term as president of the Western Frozen Food Association, and was an active member of the
American Frozen Food Institute.  In 1968 he was named as one of the �Outstanding Civic Leaders of America" and a year
later was honored by the Italian government as a Knight in the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity in an impressive
ceremony in San Francisco.  A rosary was recited Friday evening at the church.  Burial was in Patterson District
Cemetery.  Hillview Funeral Chapel was in charge of the arrangements.  Survivors include his wife, Marie Ielmini of
Patterson; one son, Angelo Ielmini of Patterson; three brothers, Alfonso of Patterson and Silvio and Primo Ielmini, both
of Italy; and two granddaughters.  The family requests that remembrances be sent to the American Cancer Society, PO
Box 423, Patterson, or to the Del Puerto Hospital Foundation, PO Box 187, Patterson.