Mrs. Rae Ellen Schmidt Crane, 76, of Linden, New Jersey entered the arms of the Lord surrounded by His heavenly angels on Friday, November 25, 2022.
Mrs. Crane, the daughter of the late Recedia Kane Schmidt and the late Raymond Schmidt was born in Rahway, New Jersey and she settled in Linden, New Jersey in 1964.
Mrs. Crane was employed by the City of Linden as a clerk in the transportation & parking department from 1983 until her well-deserved retirement in 2011.
Throughout her life, Mrs. Crane was a firecracker of activity. She enjoyed traveling, especially with her late husband, Charles “Jack” Crane to Lake George in New York and most recently to visit friends in Tennessee. Mrs. Crane was a movie buff and as she preferred Westerns, of course her favorite actor would be John Wayne. Music was also in her life, and Elvis Presley was the main man. Mrs. Crane enjoyed playing games, whether it involved movie trivia, which of course she was a wiz at or a good hand of gin rummy. As her children were growing up, those hands were always kept active as Mrs. Crane was constantly sewing costumes for dance recitals or school plays and later, she devoted those hands to crocheting blankets and booties for preemie babies. In her younger years Mrs. Crane showed her artistic abilities, painting in oils and she loved to do landscapes and still life objects. Somehow cake decorating also crept into her extensive repertoire of talents.
Mrs. Crane thoroughly enjoyed dining out and trying new foods and drinks, but as far as beverages were concerned, wine was her cocktail of choice and she made sure to have a glass of it every night at dinner. Now, who doesn’t enjoy window shopping? Another of Mrs. Crane’s favorite pastimes but internet ordering was not her style. Mrs. Crane made a point of actually going to the stores to explore the latest trends and styles and to make her purchases more personal.
Traditions were very important to her, and Mrs. Crane made an annual trek into New York City for the Christmas Show at Rockefeller Center and then throughout the year, she enjoyed the Broadway show offerings. During the holiday season, especially on Christmas Eve, Mrs. Crane organized the culinary feat of making pierogis, but added a twist in that she had everyone taking part, thereby making it a family affair, with music and laughter in the background, as more memoires were made.
Predeceased by her husband, Charles “Jack” Crane on January 23, 2015, Mrs. Crane is survived by her daughter, Doreen Fritzsche and her husband, Brian; her son, Charles R. Crane and his wife, Kimiko and her grandson, Brian Charles Fritzsche, Jr. Esq. and his fiancé, Christina Lamoureux, Esq..
Mrs. Crane was the glorious centerpiece of her family, a bright, shining ball of love and a lady who knew how to experience everything life had to offer her. Someone like Mrs. Crane will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but she will never be forgotten.
In accordance with the family’s wishes, all her funeral services and her burial in the family plot will be private.
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