Clazien Kersten

Clasina “Clazien” Kersten (nee Heerschap), age 80, of West Milford, passed away on Thursday, October 14, 2021 with family lovingly by her side.

Clazien was born in the Netherlands in the town of Naaldwijk. She was just a little girl when the Nazi’s occupied Holland. The daughter of God-fearing parents Matthew and Neeltje (Camphens) Heerschap, her father was sent to a concentration camp for getting caught hiding Jewish citizens in the family home. Despite being a prisoner in the concentration camp, Clazien’s father refused to work on Sunday claiming that it would be a violation of God’s command to keep the Sabbath day holy. Most people who would have made that claim would have been shot on the spot but, God was watching over Clazien’s father for being obedient to God’s commands. God spared his life through the act of an atheist man who purchased him to be his servant. It was a difficult time to say the least for Clazien but it taught her a life-lesson about God’s faithfulness.

Several years after the war, Clazien’s father who was a minister, received a call to come to America to be the pastor of the People’s Park Netherland Reformed Church in Paterson, NJ. The whole family immigrated to America and took residence in Haledon, NJ. Clazien was a young woman of twenty years of age at the time. Soon after, she met a man named Garret Henry “Hank” Kersten. They married and had three children – Karen, Garry, and Matthew. Clazien settled into the role of homemaker and mother and she also cleaned homes and professional offices on the side. In 1982, she moved to Brick Township, NJ and took a job as an EKG technician at Community Memorial Hospital in Toms River, NJ. She excelled at her work and eventually took a job closer to home at Brick Township Hospital. In 1989 Clazien moved to Pompton Plain, NJ where she worked for various medical practices until retiring in 2011.

In her spare time, Clazien filled her life with numerous activities. She was an excellent seamstress whose specialty was wedding dresses. She also loved to knit and, as a member of the Lois Circle - a gathering of women from her church, she enjoyed knitting baby blankets and other items which were donated to good causes. Clazien also enjoyed being outside working in her gardens. She truly was a masterful gardener! She was an excellent cook and baker who, among so many other Dutch treats, made delicious speculaas Dutch spiced cookies that went so well with a cup of coffee when family and friends dropped by for a visit.

With one of her various Shih Tzu dogs, that she had over the years, by her side, Clazien enjoyed playing hymns on her organ, and reading her bible or other religious books. As a member of the Ebenezer Netherland Reformed Church in Franklin Lakes, Clazien’s ability to speak, read and write in the Dutch language enabled her to translate sermons from ministers from Holland into the English language to be shared with the church congregation in America.

Clazien adored her grandchildren. She shared a special relationship with them as summed up so beautifully by the memories shared by one of her granddaughters:

“Oma - I’m always going to think of you and reflect on my childhood. Oma’s was a place where you always had fun, mainly sleepovers with our cousins. I won’t forget the times we had and shared through the years. You always lead with comfort and belief and always made sure we had God’s word in our heart. My heart is full of memories that I will forever hold. Like that time we turned Rudy green with markers, the countless times climbing the tree in you front yard, or playing in the basement all day long, or the way you taught us about money by going to garage sales lol. I’m going to miss your stories, and your Dutch traditions. You are no longer suffering and are home with the Lord, I wish I could hold your hand one more time. I love you so much Oma, I’ll always be your liefje.”
 
Surviving are Clazien’s three children: Karen Moore of Oak Ridge, Garry and wife Lois Kersten of Stockholm, and Matthew and fiancé Missy Maresco of Brick Township; eight grandchildren: Kyle and wife Megan, Jessica, John Jr., Hannah, Nicholas, Danielle, Casandra and Tommy; eight great-grandchildren: Ashlee, Madison, Charlotte, Luke, Jaxson, Weston, Lily, and Ariella; two brothers: Walt and Cornelius Heerschap; and sisters: Geer Grisnich and Jan Dolan; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her granddaughter Holly in 2018, and two of her brothers and one sister: Bill and Matt Heerschap and Johanna Vander Knijf.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Clazien’s name may be made to the Netherlands Reformed Christian School, 164 Jacksonville Rd, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444.