Joan (Joni) W. Krafte, Was Menemsha Harbor Fixture

Joan (Joni) W. Krafte of Hillsdale, N.J. died on March 31, in Naples, Fla. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and aunt to her family and a dear friend to many.

Married for 53 years, Joni and her husband Conrad (Connie) Krafte have been longtime summer residents of Menemsha aboard their boat, the Joni-Won, a summertime fixture in the Menemsha Harbor for more than 30 years. Martha's Vineyard was her favorite place to be and she looked forward all winter to their arrival in early summer. The season was filled with visits from many longtime friends and relatives and with the making of new friends. Joni was a favorite aunt or grandmother to everyone, depending on their age. She introduced generations of visiting children (her own grandchildren and everyone else's) to the joys of crabbing and fishing in the Jellyfish Pond and the harbor, collecting shells and sea glass along the beach, applauding the setting sun at the end of the day, and all the other delights of summer in the Vineyard.

Even during the winter, Martha's Vineyard was never far from her thoughts. Joni and Connie spent winters as snowbirds in Naples and Joni delighted in visits throughout the winter from her cherished Vineyard friends.

A New Jersey native, Joni graduated from Columbia High School in South Orange, N.J. in 1946, and attended and was graduated from Glassboro State College as a teacher in 1950. She later took postgraduate schooling and became a very highly regarded special education teacher. Joni taught in West Orange and Montvale, N.J., and spent most of her teaching career in Hillsdale. She was retired for many years.

Joni served on and headed the Hillsdale Blood Bank for several years and donations may be sent to: Community Blood Services, P.O. Box 39, Paramus, N.J. 07652 (201-444-3900).

She is survived by husband Connie Krafte; daughters Jill Krafte-Oxenham and Lori Krafte; son Drew Krafte; grandsons Joseph Krafte-Jacobs, Eli Krafte-Jacobs and Ian Church-Krafte; sisters Gloria Seligman and Lois Wolf, and a niece and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Anna Weiser, and sister, Ruth Steele.