HERSCHEIT, SIJTSKE W.

HERSCHEIT, SIJTSKE W. A private family service was held at Grove Church, North Bergen, for Sijtske ‘Ciel’ Wilhelmina Herscheit. She passed away peacefully with her children by her side on June 29. An internet celebration of her life will follow at a later date. Born in the Netherlands in 1924 to Willem and Gepke Haenen, Ciel spent her early childhood in Jakarta, Indonesia until the untimely death of her beloved father. In 1932 together with her mother and younger sister Mieke they returned by ship to the Netherlands where her mother later remarried and her youngest sister, Ans, was born. World War 2 had a big impact on her life, and Ciel often shared many stories, about the many friends and neighbors who perished, and about her own survival during the hunger winter of 1944 by escaping with her family to Friesland on a donkey cart and boat under the cover of night. Following the war, Ciel followed her passion of classical piano to study music in Cambridge. After 2 years she returned to Holland, and became a teacher at Schoevers, a well known secretarial school in Amsterdam. She continued her career by working at Shell Ltd. in Amsterdam, when, one life changing day, on her way home on the train, she locked eyes with a man wearing a top hat. Two months later she married Frans Herscheit, and followed him to Indonesia where they lived happily until political unrest forced them to flee for their lives with a suitcase and their beloved German Shepherd. Back in Holland, Ciel became a mother: Paul, then Carole, were born. Always up for a life changing adventure, the decision was made to immigrate to America. On March 20, 1960 the SS America pulled into the New York harbor with 4 Herscheits and their dog. New Jersey became their home, and Olaf joined the family. Ciel had a bold, indefatigable spirit that stayed with her until her last breath. She was a hard working provider for her family. She loved her husband, her children and her pets. She loved music, flowers, animals, the beach, clouds, and coffee ice cream. Yellow, like the yellow of the sun, was her favorite color. She loved to sing. She could be unbelievably silly, mischievous, and irreverent, sometimes in the most awkward places. She was, and is and will be, forever young. Ciel is predeceased by and reunited in love with her husband, Frans Anton Herscheit, her sister, Mieke Langeraar, and her grandson, Ryan Christopher Herscheit. She is survived by her three children: Paul and his wife Laurie Herscheit, Carole and her partner Frank Kreukniet, Olaf and his partner Kim Krapels; 5 beloved grandchildren and their spouses: Lauren and Andrew Colangelo, Ian and Courtney McCracken, Kelly Herscheit, Christian McCracken, and Erin Herscheit; and 3 great-grandchildren: Jack and Charlie Colangelo and Ryan June McCracken. She is also survived by her sister Ans Grose and family in Auckland, New Zealand, and by her family in the Netherlands. Ciel loved animals. A memorial donation may be made in her honor to the humane society at humanesociety.org.