Photos of Elisabeth Kraftson - Early Years

Elisabeth's birth certificate

Elisabeth and her mother, Elsie Gertrude Breystpraak Hallstrom

Elisabeth at 16 years old
Elsie (Elisabeth's mother), John (her older brother), the pastor, Grandma Breytspraak, Elisabeth

Elisabeth's senior picture, Lower Merion High School

Elisabeth & Harry Kraftson, Ingeborg Robb and Ray Davis

Photos of Elisabeth Kraftson - 1940s - 1960s

Harry & Betty

Elisabeth & Harry with their first-born, Raymond Kraftson
Mother with her three daughters Meredith, Connie, and Claudia

Mother at age 41 with her darling baby Claudia

Harry & Elisabeth with Claudia - how they loved each child!

1957 - Elsie's 70th Birthday

Photos of Elisabeth Kraftson - 1970s-80s

Tim & Sat's wedding - others from left to right are Claudia, Ralph & Meredith Stone, Mother, Randy, Fred & his wife, Connie

Elisabeth's parents, Raymond & Elsie Hallstrom
Glenn & Connie McDowell's wedding rehearsal dinner - 9/1//75

Elisabeth at Connie's wedding, speaking with Linda Boice

Family gathering at Granddad Hallstrom's funeral July 1979

Mother and daughter before Claudia's wedding to Dennis Brice, 12/22/79

Harry & Elisabeth, Claudia & Dennis, Joy & Dennis Brice

1983 - Dennis with Nathanael, Elisabeth & Harry, baby Mark

1983 - with Nathanael at Cardiff Castle

Nathanael's 5th birthday at Hunter's Run with Aunt Connie & Granddad & Grandmother Kraftson

1988 - Harry & Elisabeth at Taiwan Aboriginal Park

Mother always loved to swing!

1981 - Elisabeth with Claudia's first born, Nathanael

April 1989 - Elisabeth & Harry arriving at their surprise 50th Anniversary Party at DCCS

Elisabeth in the stateroom of the Alaska Cruise ship (gift from children for 50th anniversary)

Photos of Elisabeth Kraftson - 1990s on

Anna's wedding to Mike Hogue in Traverse City, Michigan August 1992

Mom & Dad - his last year - she lovingly cared for him through his Alzheimers journey

Mother & Dad with their 5 children, Claudia, Connie, Meredith, Tim, Randy

Dad's funeral at QPRC - December, 1994 - Mother with all her children & grandchildren

6/2002 - Meg's wedding - Bea, Elisabeth, and Ed Kraftson, and Jim Martindale. E., Bea, and Jim were the Kraftson in-laws - married to the 3 children of Aaron & Christiana Hartman Kraftson: Harry, Edward, and Mary Alice

Mother worried about Randy riding a motorcycle

2003 - Mother with 4 of her children, Tim, Meredith, Connie & Claudia

Mother with family at McDowell's 2004


2004 - Mom on her bike in Quarryville, age 88

Age 89 - her last year of riding

Thanks to Mother's QPRC Friends!

We would like to warmly thank and acknowledge those of you who were able to attend Elisabeth's memorial service! Thank you for well representing her many friends at QPRC.

QPRC resident and staff attendees:
Lou Klauder
Robert & Faye Liken
Bob & Janet Lutz
Barbara Peters
Stephen & Jeanne Phillips
Wendell & Trudi Rockey
Sax Wyatt (A/V)
Bob Scott
Ruthann Reppert (mother of Lesley Powell)
Barbara Anne Rich
Earl & Marion Pinckney
Betty Andrews
John & LaVon Buswell
Earl & Gladys Craggs
Dorothy Lancaster
May Bird
Dorothy Lemmert
Bill & Elsie Thornton
Greg Donovan
Vinnie Smith
Dottie Copper
Ruth Kantor
Mathilda White
Betty Landry
Dot Hostetter
Jo Ferguson
We also want to acknowledge mother's dear friend Gloria Tilton who was there in spirit (laid up from a bad car accident)

Remembrance by Ralph Stone, son-in-law

In June 2003 we had a family reunion in a state park in Ohio, and in a conversation near the end of our time together, my brother-in-law Tim referred to Mother as “the matriarch”. What really startled me was Tim’s referring to her in such an impersonal way. This was a household and family where the established order went against even referring to Mother in the third person as “she”!

Yet, as quickly as that thought raced across my mind, it became obvious; Mother, in fact, led our family. She quietly led as the sort of servant-leader that the apostle Paul refers to, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Paul continues on in that passage from Philippians, explaining that this was how Jesus Christ led, taking upon himself the form of a servant.

That was how Mother led. Probably all of us here will think of many times in our experiences with her in which she put your interests first, making you the center of the conversation, and the center of her interest.

Mother knew the Lord Jesus Christ and lived in faith in him. And she led in the manner of Jesus Christ, counting us all as more significant than herself. So, now we each in this day will continue to serve her Lord and ours, but we miss that strong, quiet presence, the beautifully feminine smile and laugh….. We miss Mother,…. Elisabeth,…… faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

Remembrance by Anna Elisabeth Kraftson

Hello, My name is Anna Elisabeth Kraftson. I am one of the 7 women named after my grandmother including Meredith Jane, Constance Elisabeth, Laurel Elisabeth, Audrey Elisabeth, Anna (Anya) Elisabeth, and Elisabeth Jane.

The stories and memories about my grandmother are vast and expansive ranging from multiple holidays spent at my grandparents’ Malin Road home getting into mischief with the Stones….traveling to the Tetons as well as family reunions complete with competitive spoon tournaments and canoe football (please do not ask).

However, I’d like to share with you one of my earliest memories of my grandmother. In the summer of 1983, my parents took my brother, Andrew, and I to go see Return of the Jedi. For some strange reason, I began having nightmares that Jabba the Hut was going to consume me. It was about this time that my grandparents came out to visit. Bedtime always was a struggle for me, but now my poor parents had an even greater battle with getting me and keeping me in bed.

During their stay, my grandmother sat with me every night while I fought sleep. She had a rather unconventional, yet very soothing, approach to comforting me. As I laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, my grandmother rubbed my belly with Ben-Gay, fed me apple slices, and read Psalms 23 to me. I remember softly repeating the King James Version with her. Eventually, every night I fell asleep peacefully.

It is such a simple story that truly doesn’t do my grandmother’s legacy justice, but in those moments my grandmother taught me two lessons: I always can seek comfort in the arms of God for the smallest and largest of things because God is there and always present. The second lesson I learned is that people can be a tangible expression of God’s love on Earth and that is clear in my Grandmother’s actions with her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Now when I am kept up at night worrying about my fears, I think back to my grandmother’s soft-soothing fingertips and begin repeating “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”

I love you Grandmother so very much.

A Prayer of Thanks (based on ‘O God Beyond All Praising’) by the Brice kids

A Prayer of Thanks (Based on ‘O God Beyond All Praising’)

O God beyond all praising
We worship you today
For Grandmother was amazing
And showed us the narrow way
For we can only wonder
At the gift of her you sent
A woman ever humbler
Who showed us what it meant
We lift our hearts before you
And wait upon your word
Which she daily taught us
To live out as a verb

Then hear, O gracious Redeemer
The praise and thanks we bring
For our ever loving Grandmother
Who served you as her king
For whether her tomorrows
Were filled with good or ill
You brought her through the sorrows
To rise and bless you still
We marvel at your beauty
That shone through her face
As she focused her eyes on Jesus
And with endurance ran the race

A Snippet of How We Will Remember Grandmother by the Brice Kids

A Snippet of How We Will Remember Grandmother

We wrote this on the computer
So no paper or cards went to waste
In my kitchen hang the Ziploc bags drying
And used paper napkins, under the sink are lying

When visiting us Grandmother was constantly doing
Hands moving as she watched TV
Be it laundry folding, teeth cleaning, knitting or exercise
Simultaneously during Jeopardy giving her quick replies

She hung the laundry outside
Washed all the dishes by hand
Ironed handkerchiefs, stitched up clothes
On Christmas to keep her seated we had to tie her with bows

Grandmother cared for others
Feeding us healthy cut-up apple snacks
Never being late
So people wouldn’t have to wait

She taught us Bible verses
Before school each morning
She helped us learn our times tables
Through her patience we become more able

During ‘fun time’ she still had us learning
Boggle, dominoes, scrabble were our favorites
We happily played for hours
She even got us excited about Reader’s Digest’s word power

Grandmother herself continued to take courses
In French and Art History
She was an avid reader of books and news
With birthday cards were sent articles of different points of views

She loved humor and puns
Kept good jokes for years
My brother tells me she liked Dave Barry,
Sadly I wouldn’t know him from Tom, Dick or Harry

Though her eyes got weaker
She continued to read and reply to our letters
Her responses were filled with prayers over us
Which showed us her love and in whom she put her trust

When asked about her favorite things
She told us of reading next to grandfather at night
The touch of his hand upon her skin
Made her feel like she was in Heaven

Her greatest joy was in God’s glory
We remember her life as part of his story
And a testament to the promise
‘That he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion’

Remembrance by Donald Kraftson

Grandmother Kraftson
Memorial Service Speech
September 5th, 2009
by Donald W. Kraftson (oldest grandson)

Most of my memories of my dear Grandmother come from the times that I spent with her at my Grandparent’s home on Malin Road in Newtown Square. Since we lived close to their home I was often over for special events such as Christmas and weddings but I was especially fortunate to spend a lot of time there when my parents traveled.

I remember Grandmother in the kitchen where she was much of time sustaining her family with delicious food – she baked the best cakes and she would let me lick the spoons and the mixer beaters, a very special treat. When she baked bread, the house would fill with a wonderful smell of yeast, and I remember that she would tell me to be quiet so the bread would not collapse. I remember that she peeled oranges with a sharp knife and could complete one without breaking a perfect swirl of skin. She would leave part of the white pulp on the outside, as that was good for digestion, and then cut them into slices so that they looked like a wagon wheel. I still eat my oranges the same way. She made me the best scrambled eggs and wheat toast for breakfast. And when I sat at the breakfast table we would work on memorizing the books of the Bible – one time when my parents were away for a long time, I finished memorizing them all and she gave me a Bible as a reward.

I remember Grandmother outside working in the garden with Grandfather planting and weeding caring for the tomatoes and squash which we would eventually eat. I remember her hanging the clothes on the clothesline, with wooden clips, to dry in the sun and wind – she would not use the clothes dryer unless it was raining. I remember her pushing me on the tree swing by the driveway and riding bikes with her.

I remember her reading with me every night before bed. The books we read filled my minds eye with pictures that could not be matched by the television. One of my most favorite books was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and I could not wait to read the next chapter with her.

I remember cutting up old rubber gloves with her and making them into rubber bands. When it was winter time we would always wear sweaters as the thermostat was set at 63. At 7pm when the phone rang, I remember her telling us not to answer it until it rang twice, as it was most likely Claudia signaling that she was ready to be picked up at the bus stop, and that would save a dime. I remember when I left a few drops of milk at the bottom of glass that she would make me drink them and I always obeyed, even though I didn’t like to drink those warm drops. Grandmother was very rarely upset with me but when I did do something that she didn’t approve of she would look at me with a frown but then she would smile telling me without words how much she loved me. She knew that I loved and respected her so much that punishment was not necessary only just a brief moment of unspoken understanding.

I remember that when I told her that I wanted to play on the football team at school that she said “well wouldn’t you rather play soccer, it’s much safer” and when I told her that football was the only game for me she would say “Ohhhh Donald”. One time when Claudia was in the front hallway getting ready to go out on a date, Grandmother lectured her about having too much blue eye shadow and mascara. “Poor Claudia”, I thought to myself.

I remember on holidays when the whole family would fill the living room’s furniture and floor to hear Grandmother and Grandfather narrate a slide show of their vacations. It was a very special and comforting time for me - sitting closely with family members in the dark and listening to their voices describe the scenery and people on the bright screen. I anticipated the next picture and as Grandfather pressed the remote and the carousel clicked to the next slide a whole new story would come to life in their words.

I remember climbing Mount Washington with my Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and I remember stopping for lunch on a rock ledge. Grandmother had packed sandwiches and tomatoes. We ate the tomatoes, whole, like apples and I’ve never had a better one.

I remember after my sister Beth was born in February 1980, Grandmother was taking care of my sister, Meg, and me at our house. We both followed the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid closely - especially the Men’s hockey team. The day they played the Russian team, they game was not televised live, but we heard on the radio that the US team had won and we heartily rejoiced, not totally believing it until later on that evening when we got to watch it together on TV in a collective state of joy.

Once Grandmother took me to a toy store in Havertown where she was buying a present for another child’s birthday party. For some reason, despite being mesmerized by some of the toys, I knew not to ask Grandmother for one. After she had purchased the present and we were walking towards the door she looked at me perplexed. She said that she thought that for sure I would have asked for a toy and that if I had she would not have granted my request, but she then said that because I didn’t ask that I was allowed to pick one out and she would buy it for me. I picked a scuba diver and submarine and I loved her because she was so thoughtful.

While my Grandmother was very prudent and thrifty with material things she was lavish in her love and care for her family and the Lord.

Grandmother and Grandfather were truly the Salt of the Earth.

Remembrance of Grandmother by Laurel Elisabeth Stevens

In August of 2005 I suffered a miscarriage. I received much comfort from family members during this time, but what I remember most is the love and wisdom I received from Grandmother.

A week after the miscarriage I wrote to Grandmother expressing my doubts and questions. I knew that she could be trusted, having great faith in God, and having experienced the loss of a child.

She wrote back the same day, with characteristic apologies for her computer throwing her a curve ball (keep in mind that she was 89 at the time and had had her computer for less than one year).

“Your questions touch my heart; and your expectation that I can help you! Your questions break my heart. You have to believe that God did what was best for you. NEVER did He take your babies because of some lack of spirituality or some such thing in your life. He did it for your good, somehow, tho' you may not understand it for a long time. Never say or let anyone say "It was just luck"...There is no such word in the life of a Christian.”

She repeated a theme that I’ve heard a lot from her and from her children as they’ve remembered her lately: “I’ve been learning the importance of praise. We have so much to praise the Lord for.”

And then she wrote these lasting words: “Romans 11:33-36 was the Scripture our minister read to me at the time of Judith Ann's stillbirth. It was a great comfort and I memorized it:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things; to Whom be glory forever. Amen. (King James).

If you have a solid faith in Who God is; and what you are to Him, it helps answer many questions. I wish I could help you more. I have questions whenever I read the Bible. I miss Harry so, He was always able to help me, and when he couldn't answer, he would say, "God is ALWAYS right! Just believe that and trust Him." Lots of times there are no apparent answers---such as right now-- I love you, always, and pray that the Lord will be closer to you than ever!! Grandmother”

What I remember from that email exchange and from many other letters, conversations and stories is Grandmother’s faith in God and his word even when she couldn’t understand it all. I remember her compassion for me and her constant returning to scripture and hymns for solace.

Her legacy continues as she encourages me and points me to her source of strength even now.

Laurel Elisabeth Stone Stevens

Memorial Service - Saturday, September 5

We were privileged to participate in a beautiful memorial service honoring Elisabeth Kraftson at 2pm today in the auditorium of Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community. Many long-time friends 'came out of the woodwork' and we were so honored to see each one of you, representing our family's connections with the Delaware County Christian School; the former Church of the Covenant in Bala Cynwyd; Springton Lake Presbyterian Church (formerly Berith); Arab World Ministries (formerly North Africa Mission).

Over 50 Kraftson relatives attended including:

Anderson, Susan (Martindale)
Brice, Dennis, Claudia (Kraftson) & Peter
Brice, Mark & Sandy
Brice, Nathanael & Ana & Ariana
Green, Mark & Abigail (Brice)
Griffen, Brian & Michele (Kraftson)
Harriz, Don & Nancy (Kraftson)
Kelley, Jamie & Meg (Kraftson)
Kraftson, Andrew & Sonia (Klauder), David
Kraftson, Anna and her son Kincade Kraftson-Hogue
Kraftson, Dan & Lynn
Kraftson, Donald & Ann, Brooke & Charlie
Kraftson, Ed & Bea
Kraftson, Margo
Kraftson, Raymond
Kraftson, Tim & Sat, Stephanie
Martindale, Jim
Martindale, David & Lynn
Martindale, Peter
McDowell, Glenn & Connie (Kraftson), Shelby & Andrei
Sikdar, Ian & Beth (Kraftson)
Stevens, John & Laurel (Stone), Elisabeth & Henry
Stone, Josh & Sarah
Stone, Nathaniel
Stone, Ralph & Meredith (Kraftson)

We appreciate seeing the QPRC staff and friends of our mother, as well. Thank you!

And special thanks to Margaret Mell (Claudia's teacher) for her lovely flute accompaniment.

Mothers favorite hymns by Raymond Kraftson

From: Raymond Kraftson [mailto:rhk@arianepartners.com]
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 1:00 PM

You may remember that two years ago Mother and I had a long project involving finding and recording our favorite hymns. They include (really special ones are bolded):

How Firm a Foundation
Eternal Father Strong to Save
Immortal, Invisible
Once to Every Man and Nation
Lead On, O King EternalI Vow to Thee My Country (Gustav Holst – Britain’s Patriotic Hymn of the First World War - Mother LOVED the music - would be good for pre-service music)
Amazing Grace
O God Our Help in Ages Past
The Church’s One Foundation
God of Our Fathers
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Crown Him with Many Crowns
Come Thou Almighty King
O for a Thousand Tongues
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
O Thank Thee Lord our God
O for the Beauty of the Earth
Lord and Father of Mankind
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
I Need Thee Every Hour
Battle Hymn of the Republic
This Is My Father’s World
The Doxology
Savior Like a Shepherd, Lead Us
Abide with Me
Fairest Lord Jesus (Mother and Grandmother Hallstrom)May Jesus Christ be Praised
O Worship the King
A Mighty Fortress is our God
It is Well with My SoulNow Thank We All our God

Not sure I got all the titles right. Also, she grew up with the Lutheran hymns and her love for them never waned.

This is one of the most important things I ever did with her. My tears listening to these while writing this would fill a bucket. Some of you have the CD I made of these.
Love,
Randy

if you had to summarize Elisabeth in a few words...

• Inquiring mind
• Interested in people
• Diligent Bible student
• Loving mother and grandmother
• Active

Add your own summary or examples of these using comments!

Mother doing bike maintenance at the age of 86...The can is chain lube!

email from grandson Josh Stone 8/15/09

From: Joshua Stone
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 11:01 PM

Hi Aunt Connie,

...the more I think about Grandmother the more I am aware of her legacy, that is, her husband and her children and her faith in the Lord and the faith of hers passed on to her children, passed on to me, which I hope to pass on to mine by way of the same means, that is, the grace of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I can't escape how all of this culminates for Grandmother in her present peace. She ran the race and fought the fight, and is reaping only the beginning of her reward even as I type.

I often tell my son that he will get to see Uncle Tim when Jesus comes back. So now grandmother is added to the saints. Moreover, this is an opportunity to tell my son about Granddad, who he never knew. There is no flawless lineage, but I am so pleased and so grateful to God for letting me be in this very one.

In college I had a powerful flashback while listening to a Michael Card song about his grandfather--I've told Mom this story once or twice. The memory was of Granddad reading Psalm 121 to me in the basement of the house on Malin Road before I went to sleep that night (I recall him kneeling next to me, but who knows). "I lift my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth..." The Michael Card lyric went, "Granddad I wish you could be here, to tell me what to do/'cause I first saw the light of Christ in you." I recall experiencing some sort of thought along the lines of "He really believes this." And this was no small thing.

Its that sort of memory that I think of--where the light of Christ comes from--when I talk about Grandmother's legacy, and my extreme gratitude for being in it. The active grace of God is part of her legacy--no, it IS the legacy!

Much love,
Josh

note from her oldest grandson

From: Donald Kraftson
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 11:38 AM

Dear Aunt Connie

I am thankful that Grandmother is with the Lord and thankful for the wonderful life she led filling us with her beauty and strength.

Grandmother and Grandfather are the salt of the earth to me and a to live by.

Love,
Donald

Elisabeth's Family

Harry Aaron Kraftson (born July 7, 1917 – died December 24, 1994)
married Elisabeth Jane Hallstrom (born November 20, 1915 - died August 15, 2009)

Elisabeth Jane Hallstrom was born in Lakewood Ohio on November 20, 1915, to Raymond Lester Hallstrom and Elsie Gertrude Breytspraak Hallstrom. She had one older brother, John Raymond Hallstrom, who was a rocket scientist on the Titan missile project.

Elisabeth, also known as 'Betsey' and later 'Betty', graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1934. She graduated from Rosemont College in 1938 with a degree in Biology. She married Harry on April 15, 1939. They lived in a variety of homes. As their family grew, they moved to 314 Cynwyd Rd. in Bala Cynwyd. In 1960 they moved to a house that Harry built, 357 Malin Rd. in Newtown Square, to be close to the Delaware County Christian School. They downsized to 5 Hunters Run in Newtown Square in the early '80's. They moved to Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community in 1992.

Key churches they attended include:
Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian) - Bala Cynwyd
Springton Lake Presbyterian Church - Newtown Square
Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church - Quarryville

Their children are:

Raymond (Randy) Harry Kraftson (Margo Knewstub) of Villanova. They have 4 children:
• Donald Kraftson (Ann) of NYC. They have 2 children, Brooke and Charlie. Donald works with his father in their own business.
• Meg Kelley (James), Baltimore works in public relations
• Beth Sikdar (Ian), Rose Tree, Delaware County teaches kindergarten
• Michele Griffen (Brian), Villanova

Judith Ann Kraftson, stillborn on March 19, 1942

Timothy Alan Kraftson (Nguyen Thi Sát, called Sát), Troy, Michigan
They have 3 children:
• Anna Elisabeth Kraftson, Chicago has a son, Kincade Kraftson-Hogue and teaches high school science in Naperville.
• Andrew Timothy Kraftson (Sonia Klauder) has a son, David and live in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Andrew is a fellow in endocrinology.
• Stephanie Kraftson - pre-med at U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Meredith Jane Stone (Ralph)- They live in Houston and have 4 children:
• Timothy Edward Stone – died in 2007. His widow is Kristen Murphy Stone who lives in Dearborn, MI and teaches first grade.
• Laurel Elisabeth Stevens (John) lives in Houston and has 2 children, Elisabeth and Henry.
• Joshua Stone (Sarah) lives in Houston and has 2 children, Timothy and Charlotte.
• Nathaniel Stone lives in Austin, Texas.

Constance (Connie) Elisabeth McDowell (Glenn) live in Conshohocken, PA and has 4 children:
• David Alastair Whitefield McDowell, living at home
• Shelby Victoria Faith McDowell, attending Philadelphia University.
• Anna Elisabeth McDowell, attending Philadelphia Biblical University.
• Andrei Benjamin McDowell, in high school

Claudia Damaris Brice (Dennis) lives in Harleysville, PA and has 4 children:
• Dennis Nathanael Aaron Brice (Ana Batista) live in Union, NJ and have a daughter, Ariana Evangeline.
• Mark Ashley Kraftson Brice (Sandy Smit) is attending U. of Delaware for graduate work in psychology.
• Abigail Joanna Rae Green (Mark) lives in Virginia Beach.
• Peter Ian Michael Aiden Brice is studying geology at Wheaton College

Mother's last week by Connie McDowell

On Saturday night, August 8th, 2009, around 10:30pm, my mother, Elisabeth Kraftson, fell in her room in the Assisted Living section of Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community. Her leg gave out. She had been so frail, and growing weaker steadily over the past months. Thankfully she was wearing a call button around her neck so was able to alert the nearby nurse. The nurses called an ambulance which took her to Lancaster General Hospital. They discovered she’d had a hip fracture which could only be repaired by surgery, so she was admitted.

I drove to the hospital after being notified by Quarryville of ths situation, arriving about 2am. I was able to stay with Mom in her private hospital room. Mom looked so frail but she smiled so sweetly at me and was glad I was there.

An orthopedic surgeon arrived around 7am to see Mom to explain the surgery required to repair the fracture – 2 permanent screws to hold the bone together.

I stayed with her until around 3pm Sunday. We had a very sweet time together. Mother was so dear & precious. My brother Randy was able to stop by Quarryville in the morning and bring a few necessities for Mom. Claudia arrived home from a week in Orlando Sunday morning. She arrived at the hospital around 5pm and stayed with Mom round the clock until late Tuesday evening.

Sunday came and went, we kept waiting for Mom to be taken to surgery but it didn’t happen. All this time, our poor Mother, who weighs in the low 80’s, couldn’t eat or drink, and had to lie in one position, on her back. We could swab her mouth with water which we did often. Monday morning they didn’t call her to surgery and couldn’t provide an O.R. time. Around 1pm, Claudia (and Mother) were very concerned that nothing was scheduled. She went to the Hospital Administration office and explained the situation to a Patient Advocate. Thankfully, within about 10 minutes, Mother was taken to the OR.

I was so thankful for Claudia’s teamwork so I could attend an important annual customer meeting. And Claudia was very thankful that Tim and Sat were able to come out to relieve her. We all felt that spending time with Mom was a huge privilege, not a burden, and we were all sorry we couldn't be with her more.

Mom was very aware and ‘with it’ during the entire ordeal. She did say a few funny things while under the influence of strong pain medication. She told Claudia she was going to rob Peter to pay Paul. When Claudia asked, 'What can I do to help you, Mom?', she replied, 'Pay Paul!'

I visited Mom again Wednesday evening. I was able to feed her a little bit. I kissed her and held her hand and she fell asleep; I like to think that it helped her feel better just having my presence nearby.

My brother Tim & his wife Sat arrived around 8pm, so we were there about an hour together. Sat stayed in the room with Mom. Mother was discharged Thursday by ambulance to the convalescent (skilled nursing) unit at Quarryville. She was so frail and pathetic (in a sweet way). She was not strong enough to even ring for the nurse.

Tim and Sat have a particular knack for showing up at the right time and providing incredibly practical and helpful support to Mom which we appreciate so much. It was so wonderful that they supported her through the transition back to Quarryville and then through her transition from this life to the next.

Claudia & I visited her Thursday and Friday after work, and were there with Tim and Sat. Glenn came as well on Friday evening. We sang to Mother and cried and laughed with her. She could not eat or drink, or speak much, only whisper a few words and smile. But she was not in great pain and went in and out of consciousness. When she was awake she comprehended what was going on around her and responded. She would wake up for a couple of minutes then fade out for awhile.

Friday evening, Mother was delighted to see the newlyweds, Mark & Sandy Brice, for a brief visit around 9pm. She brightened up visibly and even managed to say a few words to them. It was especially poignant since she'd been unable to attend their wedding three weeks prior.

Saturday morning, as in the prior few days, Mother continued to fail fast. Her breathing was labored. Tim and Sat were with her during her last hours and cared lovingly for her with the help of the compassionate nurse, as Mother took her last breath around 10am. She died on the birthday of her youngest and beloved daughter Claudia.

Glenn, Shelby and I picked up my sister Meredith Stone and her husband Ralph who had quickly arranged the previous evening, to fly up from Houston. We arrived at Quarryville around 1:30pm. They were able to see Mother's body before it was taken away for burial. We were so comforted by being together with our siblings at this time.

Throughout Mother's last months of steady weakening, she has been sweet and dear, so glad to be with us and speak with us by phone, thankful and loving and brave. She persevered and showed the continued grace and peace of Jesus Christ. Especially in the last week, she was not anxious about her future, but lived ‘in the moment’, one day at a time.

She memorized this passage – Romans 11:33-36 not long ago and appreciated having it read to her a couple of times.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever.
Amen.

We rejoice that Mom’s sufferings have ended and that she is in the presence of her Savior! But oh how we’ll miss her.

My Mother's last days - Son Tim's perspective

We were notified by my sister Connie last Sunday that my mother fell and broke her hip last Saturday (Aug. 8) in her room in Assisted Living at the Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community. My sisters Connie & Claudia took turns staying with her in the hospital until surgery was finally scheduled and took place on Monday. Getting the surgery scheduled required intervention by Claudia at the suggestion of Connie.

We left on Wed. morning and Sat stayed overnight with Mother on Wed. night. On Thurs. Mother was transferred back to her retirement home and placed in Skilled Nursing Care. Sat and I were thankful we were there to participate in the care given to our frail mother.

On Friday, Sat tried to feed some lunch to my Mother. She kept losing consciousness and could not swallow the very small amount of applesauce placed in her mouth. I realized that she could no longer eat and asked that hospice care be brought in. The earliest they could begin was Saturday at noon. My two sisters Claudia and Connie, and Connie's husband Glenn came Friday evening. Mark and Sandy Brice stopped in too. Mother recognized Mark (her grandson) and was glad to meet Sandy (who had just married Mark 3 weeks earlier.)

My brother Raymond came to visit Mother at about 11:30pm Friday night. She had no visual or oral expression, but Raymond felt her squeeze his hand. We left Mother sometime after mid-night. Sat and I stayed in her room in the assisted living section, which had only a very narrow single bed. Sat insisted on sleeping on the floor so I could be comfortable.

At 9:30 am on Saturday, Sat and I went down to see Mother. We were stopped at the nurses’ station and told that Mother had just developed an acute breathing difficulty from fluid in her lungs and were asked if we wanted her hospitalized. I said no. We proceeded to her room where she was gasping for breath, even with an oxygen mask and a high level of oxygen flow. This continued for about 45 more minutes (probably about an hour in total) and Sat and I held her hand and stroked her head as she finally took her last breaths and was released from her earthly struggles.

My last words to her were “Your children love you! And this is what you wanted.” Just as I said this, at about 10:20 am August 15, 2009, her fighting for breath ceased and a few gentle breaths later she was gone to the arms of her loving Heavenly Father.

My sister Meredith had decided on Friday to come immediately and was able to get a flight from Houston for herself and her husband Ralph that arrived at 11:30 am. She received a phone call from her daughter as she landed that the end had come. I asked the nursing staff to leave Mother in her room until Meredith and Ralph could arrive. We had a few moments together in her room and then left.

Sat and I met with the funeral home director at 8:00am Sunday morning and arranged for a burial for 1:00pm on Monday afternoon. Ralph led the burial service which included my Uncle Ed and Aunt Bea Kraftson (my father’s brother and his wife). We also had Ariana (daughter of Nathanael and Ana Brice) as a representative of Mother’s 9 great-grand children. All four generations of those living were thus represented. We plan to have a memorial service on September 5th for the much larger group of those who knew my Mother and wish to share in the celebration of her life and legacy.

The Harry Kraftson Clan

The Kraftsons: Harry Aaron Kraftson (born July 7, 1917 – died December 24, 1994)
married Elisabeth Jane Hallstrom (born November 20, 1915)

Elisabeth Jane Hallstrom was born in Lakewood Ohio on November 20, 1915, to Raymond Lester Hallstrom and Elsie Gertrude Breytspraak Hallstrom. She had one older brother, John Raymond Hallstrom.

Elisabeth, also known as 'Betsey' and later 'Betty', graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1934. During her time at Lower Merion, she met Harry Aaron Kraftson in fencing club. They talked for the first time while waiting in the hall for an election between them for French club president. Elisabeth won the election but Harry won a friendship which later blossomed into a 55-year marriage.

Elisabeth attended Rosemont College, a women's college at the time, and graduated in 1938 with a degree in Biology. She married Harry on April 15, 1939 at her home church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ardmore, PA.

Harry’s parents were Aaron Kraftson and Christiana Hartman Kraftson. Aaron was Jewish, and emigrated from Russia (Ukraine today) when a young man, in the early 1900’s (around 1907). He came to the US to escape the persecution of Jews that was occurring in Russia at that time (same era as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’). He was a carpenter. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard and met Christiana in Rhode Island. She was a maid in a wealthy person’s home there. They married and moved to Philadelphia, on Delancey Street, where my Dad was born. He had one younger brother, Edward Pole Kraftson, who married Beatrice Cherry, and a younger sister, Mary Alice Kraftson who married James J. (Jim) Martindale.

Aaron and Christiana became Christian Scientists (a cult which is neither Christian nor scientific). Harry was raised in that religion. He went to Lower Merion High School (about 20 mins from our house) and graduated in 1934, the same class as Elisabeth Hallstrom. He got a scholarship to attend the Towne School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He majored in Chemical Engineering. A friend, Ray Davis, invited Harry to study the Bible with him. After a few months of study, Harry put his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and became a Christian. Within one year, after sharing his new faith with his family, his parents, sister and brother all became Christians.

Harry was very close with his brother and sister. They moved to the same area in the early 1960's, and we grew up together with our Kraftson and Martindale cousins. We all attended the Delaware County Christian School together.

Elisabeth, grew up near Philadelphia and met Harry at Lower Merion High School. Her parents were Raymond and Elsie Breytspraak Hallstrom. Raymond was 100% Swedish and was born and raised in the Chicago area. He worked for Otis Elevator Company for most of his career, starting as an office boy and rising through the company to become the Controller (an executive position). He moved to various cities to work in different offices of Otis, including Ohio, New York City, Philadelphia, and Newark, NJ. After he retired from Otis, my grandparents moved into an apartment Harry and Betty built into their lovely home in Newtown Square, PA (very near to DCCS). It was wonderful having my grandparents live with us during my childhood. They loved Claudia and me so much. They ate their meals in their apartment, mostly, but would join us for dinner after church every Sunday.

Grandmother K. attended Rosemont College. After graduating in 1938, she married my Dad the next year – April 15, 1939. They lived in the Philadelphia area their whole lives.