Mrs. Kraft was born July 4, 1941 in Rostock Germany, to Johann and Olga Arendt. She emigrated with her mother and older brother to the United States in 1956, living in Texas, Florida, Maryland, California and New Mexico before, in 1973, settling in Charlotte for the remainder of her life. Mrs. Kraft raised a daughter and built a successful career, serving as Director of Advertising at SSI Schaefer USA for 25 years until her retirement in 2014. Mrs. Kraft was cherished by her many family, friends and colleagues and will be greatly missed.
In her spare time, she enjoyed just about everything: theater and the arts, music, hiking and biking, her beautiful garden, travel to anywhere intriguing, glasses of wine with friends and her beloved books and cats. Mostly, she played ferocious tennis and adored her granddaughter. But she used to say “you can find God as easily in nature as in a church,” and was always game for pursuits that took place in the outdoors. Mrs. Kraft was a beauty with a ready laugh, a listening ear, a quiet wit, firm opinions, a steely will and a great curiosity about the world.
Mrs. Kraft is preceded in death by her parents and older brother Oswald Arendt. She is survived by daughter Jennifer Loven Ballentine, son-in-law Christopher Cooper, grandchildren Eliza Ballentine and Christopher Cooper II and sister-in-law Joyce Arendt.
A private memorial service will be held at 11am on May 10 at Duke Mansion in Charlotte.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to US Against Alzheimer’s or the Sierra Club.
Special thanks to the staff at Brookdale South Park for their many kindnesses.
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