Herbert Clemens
Kraft
— A Mentor, Colleague and Friend
by Charles A. Bello, A.S.N.J.
Fellow and Past President
November
2, 2000
I lost a good
friend a few nights
ago. My life has been enriched because of our friendship. I will never
forget
him.
I first
corresponded with Herb Kraft
about twenty-two years ago, wanting to purchase some of his
publications on the archaeology of the Upper Delaware Valley. I sent a
letter requesting
the books and asking for prices. Herb responded by sending me the books
and
told me to send him the payment later on when it was convenient.
As my interest
in prehistory progressed
I started attending meetings of the Archaeological Society of New
Jersey.
I soon became quite aware that Herb was a figure of authority and
commanded
a lot of attention. So, while observing him identifying artifacts and
talking
to nearly everyone at every meeting, I said "what the hell" and
introduced
myself. I began telling him about the Indian sites I knew of in the
Princeton
area and the artifacts I had found. I was pretty young and
inexperienced,
but Herb nevertheless listened, showed interest in what I was saying,
and
offered some sage advice. However, what I remember most from this early
encounter
was that he encouraged my interest in archaeology and urged me to
record
and publish my findings.
I tried my best
to follow his advice.
My professional relationship and friendship with Herb quickly grew and
developed
as I began to get involved in CRM and the ASNJ. I became a regular
visitor
at both the Seton Hall University Museum and at Herb's home in
Elizabeth.
My wife and I were always delighted whenever Herb came over to our
house
for dinners or parties. As I write this remembrance, I am happy to say
that
I had gotten to know him pretty well after twenty-two years.
I have learned a
lot from him, not
only about prehistoric lithics and pottery, but writing and speaking
and interacting with people as well. Herb was a great teacher. He
taught and led by example. He was always willing to take time from his
busy schedule
to edit an article, read a report, or to offer some assistance.
Those who knew
Herb personally are
aware how he reveled in his popular standing among colleagues,
students, and the general public. In many ways he was a showman, but
certainly not a show-off. He was very proud of his accomplishments, and
nothing pleased
him more than to bring the fruits of his efforts to those interested.
I have also
learned a lot about facing the fears and uncertainties of disease and
dying from spending time
with Herb during the last six months of his life. We had many long and
frank
discussions on topics ranging from why cancerous cells develop and
spread,
what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, financial planning, family
responsibilities,
to the commercialization of death. We talked in detail about caskets as
though
we were discussing automobiles.
Even
though Herb had traveled a lot in his life, there were many places he
still wished to see. He wanted
to join me in Alaska to do some digging if he recovered. Herb almost
obsessed
on the articles that he never got a chance to write, and the problems
of culture history that still bugged him. We collaborated on editing
the Bulletin
of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey throughout the summer.
Despite
his failing health, we tossed around many ideas for articles, reports,
talks,
and projects. He was thinking and working right up until the very end.
When Herb knew
he didn’t have a lot of time left he became very philosophical, but yet
again appeared as a man who was facing death with dignity and with
little fear. In fact, even
though he was angry about his cancerous condition, he really became
upset
after his stroke — when he could not move, talk, or read very well. In
one
of the last clear statements Herb made to me he described the condition
the
stroke left him in as "a real pain in the ass," but managed to follow
with
a smile and say that all he really wanted to do is get back to working
on
his book.
I clearly saw
the love he had for
his family and especially for his wife of fifty years, Joan. Their
loving
and respectful relationship and the way Joan helped him and provided
encouragement
was especially touching.
After seeing
Herb's condition slowly
deteriorate over the summer and into the fall, I gained comfort in
knowing
that I gave him someone to continue to talk to about archaeology, and
that
our talks apparently had a healing effect.
On one of my
last visits I thanked
him for allowing me to spend so much time talking about the ASNJ and
said
that I hoped I was not bothering him. He quickly interrupted me and
told me that I was one of his best "archaeological" friends and how he
valued our friendship and the time we spent over the years working
together in the
ASNJ. Of all the accolades, awards, or other types of praise I have
ever
received in my life, I cherish the fact that Herb considered me a good
friend
and that he thanked me for the work that I have done for archaeology in
New
Jersey.
I miss Herb, and
do not really think
that a day will go by for quite a while that I won’t think of my friend
and
all the good he did for archaeology.
requiescat in
pace
[From a former
student]
I have often
heard it said that
when we mourn the dead we are actually mourning for ourselves — railing
against
the pain and sorrow of a deep loss in our lives, the loss of someone
who can never be replaced. I know this to be true firsthand. Still,
while I rue
the things that were never said, the work that was not completed, and
the
years that were not lived, when remember the life of Herb Kraft I am
overwhelmed
with a sense of gratitude that he chose to spend the time that he did
among
us. He has touched all of our lives in some way or another — with his
research,
with his good humor, with his eloquence, the list is endless.
When I was
beginning my third
year at Seton Hall University, freshly returned from the Pine Ridge
Reservation
for a cultural field study, I went to work for Herb. What an honor it
was
for me to work with the man who was, inarguably, the expert on the
Lenape/Delaware
people. It didn’t matter to me at that point that I didn’t know all
that much about the Lenape; this was Herb Kraft, and I certainly knew
who he was.
I was elated that he allowed me to come work for him, but at the same
time
I was completely intimidated. Sure, I had met him around campus — in
fact,
he went with the Anthropology Club on a field trip to the National
Museum
of the American Indian in New York and we talked a little about his
book
that he was starting to put together about "Pahaquarry and the Old Mine
Road."
But this was a heck of a lot different than a few minutes’
conversation.
Would I cut it, I wondered?
A little over
five years later
I can laugh. For a man who knew so much, had published so many papers,
and
had spoken in so many places, he was the least pretentious individual I
have
ever met. As weeks stretched into months stretched into years, Herb
revealed
himself to be not only extremely knowledgeable and talented but also
friendly,
kind, generous, humorous, and gentle. He was the type of man who
dropped
what he was doing when a student needed help — or anyone, for that
matter.
He was happy to speak to anyone and everyone about many things,
especially
about the Lenape; and he spoke to everyone on the same level,
condescending
to none.
That was the
first thing that
deeply impressed me about Herb — he was the first person to treat me
like
a colleague rather than just another student who worked for him. He
allowed
me to edit his work, which to me was, and still is, an awesome
responsibility.
He was also the first person to criticize my work; and although he felt
badly
about it because it crushed me, I don’t think he ever realized what a
big
favor he really did me. When I graduated from Seton Hall, he made sure
he
was there, and was as proud of me as my mother was. When I went away to
grad
school, he continued to send me work to read (when I had the time of
course,
but when wouldn’t I have had the time for him?), and letters catching
me
up on how he was and what was going on at Seton Hall. When I was in a
bind
during the completion of my thesis, Herb thought nothing about helping
me
out. He has always been there for me as a mentor and as a friend, and
in
that respect I have always felt very lucky to know him.
Herb taught me a
great deal about
what I needed to do to be a good scholar, but he also taught me by
example
what I need to do to be a good person. He lived a good life; he never
spoke
of anyone maliciously; he spoke the truth; he treated all those he met
with
respect; he was generous with his time, knowledge, and resources; he
was
hard-working, thoughtful, and dedicated; and he was understanding and
fair.
He loved his family as much as his work, and was fortunate enough to
strike
a careful balance between both. I hope one day to be as good a person
as
he. Truly, it was an honor to know him, and a joy, though I am saddened
by
his passing, to remember him.
Jenny Rebecca
Martin, M.A.
Wednesday,
November 01, 2000
11:36 AM Subject: [ASNJ] Herbert C.
Kraft
Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
It is with great
regret and a
heavy heart that I report the passing of Herbert C. Kraft.
Herb
suffered a second stroke a few days ago and
died peacefully at home last night.
The viewing will
be held Thursday,
November 2 (7-9 pm) and Friday, November 3 (2-4 pmand 7-9 pm) at
the Leonard Funeral Home,
240 West Jersey Street, Elizabeth (908-352-5331).
A Catholic mass
will be held
Saturday, November 4 (10 am) at the Holy Rosary,St. Michaels
Roman Catholic Church, 52 Smith
Street, Elizabeth (908-354-2454).
An obituary and
related announcements
will be published in the Star Ledger.
The family can
be reached c/o
Joan
Kraft
15
Raymond Terrace
Elizabeth,
New Jersey 07208
Anyone wanting
further information
can contact me at the following addresses:
732-985-4380
(office)
610-294-8260
(home)
hop@epix.net
Sincerely,
Charles
A. Bello
Sent: Wednesday, November 01,
2000 4:15 PM
Subject:
Re: Herbert C. Kraft
Dear Charles and
Sebbie:I would be
honored to be among those whose
tributes to Herb Kraft will be included in the asnj website. He was
very
deserving of recognition during his lifetime -- even while he did not
seek
this for himself. Now that he is gone, it will be important to keep his
memory
alive for those who will not be privileged to know him, his work, and
his
wonderful ways as a scholar, colleague, mentor, friend, and teacher. I
wish
you good luck with this project and applaud you for initiating it.Yes, you may certainly use my remembrance
on the website. I hope that it may bring some comfort to his family to
know
how I felt about him.Please
let me know when it will be posted -- and send me the web address so I
may
access it.Harriet SepinwallCollege of Saint Elizabeth2 Convent RoadMorristown, NJ 07960hsepinwall@liza.st-elizabeth.edu
It is with great
sadness that
I learned of the passing of Herb Kraft.He was a
wonderful scholar and a gentle and
kind colleague. As a young faculty
member
teaching New Jersey history
at another college, I was welcomed by Dr.Kraft as a
colleague and friend 20 years ago. He spoke at several programs
I
organized on our campus. I remember
how he inspired many of the teachers
at
a program we did for the NJ Council
for the Social Studies; some of the
teachers
joined him that summer for an
archaeological dig and came away with new dedication
to including study
of New Jersey history into their
curriculum.
He also came to our campus to speak to
the students in my
course
"American Culture Studies."
Over the years, he served as mentor for
many
of my students who went to see him at Seton
Hall for the research and
curriculum
projects they chose to
do on the Lenape. His respect for
students
was wonderful; he even acknowledged the
assistance of one of my
students'
curriculum work in one
of his own books. He was always willing to
share
his knowledge, insights, and
expertise with others, and contributed in
very
important ways to what we now
know about the Lenape.
I feel so
fortunate to have met
him early in my career at the College of
Saint
Elizabeth and grateful to have known him as
a colleague and friend
even
while we did not see each other
often enough. I will miss him.
Harriet Sepinwall
Sent:Sunday, November
26, 2000 7:19 PM
Subject:Re: Herbert C.
Kraft
Charles,
Thank you for
sharing the beautiful
remembrance you wrote concerning Herb.
Although my
acquaintance with Herb
was brief in comparison to yours and many others, the
impact he had upon me
will never be forgotten. Yes, it was his example as a
person and professional
that leaves an indelible mark upon my life. When you
wrote,"example", it brought to mind what a Franciscan brother once shared with
me. It's an inscription
that was scratched on the wall of one of Rome's
catacombs:
Scripta manent,
verba volunt,
sed explica trahuntWritten things
remain, words fly, but it's the example that drawsHerb's example
indeed; we were drawn to it,
now let us live it.
Tony DeCondo
Sent:Monday, November
27, 2000 8:57 AM
Subject:Re: Herbert C.
Kraft
Dear Charles:
Thank you for
sharing your thoughts
on Herb and on your friendship. He will
be missed by
even those of us who
did not know him well but surely admired
him and consider
his work so very
important.
Many thanks,
Joan
Geismar
Professional
Archaeologists of New York City
To: Charles
Bello & Sebbie
Buhler
Sent: Monday,
November 27, 2000 12:29
PM
Subject:
Herb
Dear Chas,
Thanks
for your remembrances and
recording of your friendship with Herb.
He
was a most unique person who did so much to
encourage people to
study,
record, and write about their
artifacts and observations, and to care.
I
experienced this when I did the
Maurice River Shell Tool research.
Herb
wanted to see evidence of edgewear.
So off I went to the local
Community
College Biology department
to study and record demonstrated
edgewear.
I learned much
from Herb. His genuine concern
and encouragement to
study
specifically directed to the
nonprofessional was and remains a
unique
attribute. As a person and
as a nonprofessional prehistorian
I
have lost a friend and mentor as well.
Chas, you well
recognize the importance of
interested, curious people concerned with
our prehistory/history.
I ask you, based your long association and friendship with Herb, who will now carry the torch?
Who will inspire
and lead in
the spirit of Herbert C. Kraft?
I
wonder if the loss of Herb is truly recognized
by many?
I
think about him a lot and find
it difficult to realize he is
gone,
that he has taken the starpath.
I miss him.
Perry Brett
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 2:35 PM
Subject:
Thanks for your memorial thoughts!
Dear Charles -
the most important thing we
leave behind are our students!
Many thanks for
writing up your thoughts and information on Herb.
Best -
Marshall
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 7:07 PM
Subject:
Re: Herb Kraft publication prize
Chas,
The
Herbert C. Kraft Publishing
Award in New Jersey Archaeology sounds like a great tribute.
I
would like to see it opened up
to all students of archaeology, not those just in degree programs.
As
you have so eloquently waxed in recent writings
and the Lifetime Achievement Award,
Herb was a
champion of the rank and file
and avocational enthusiasts.
Also,
the theme or topic of the paper should be
something that Herb would have embraced, but not
necessarily limited to something
so specific as Upper Delaware Valley Archaeology.
I am thinking
about this and looking forward
to the January meeting when we can participate in a round-table
discussion
on the matter.
Jack Cresson
To:
Bello
Sent:Thursday,
November 30, 2000 10:42
PM
Subject:Herb
Kraft
Charles,
Thank you for
sharing your moving
eulogy about Herb Kraft. I had tears
in my eyes by
the time I got to the end. It reminded me of the "Tuesdays
with
Morrie" (I think that's the
title) true story, portrayed by Jack
Lemmon on TV
recently.
I do remember
Herb, first meeting
him at a dinner at a friend's home in
Florham
Park when he was speaking
to the local historical society. The
hostess
had asked me to make an arrangement for
the dining table, so I
had
grouped some of the artifacts
my father had collected as a child up
along
the Ramapo River. Herb looked
at them politely, and then said that
they
had lost all value (historical,
not monetary) because they had not
been
recorded "in situ".
Later he gave a
series of lectures
up at Morris County College when I
was
working as a teaching naturalist
for the Morris County Park System.
They
sent me to the series with a tape recorder,
with Herb's permission
to
tape, so I took notes and later
transcribed the tapes. He certainly
sharpened
my interest in NJ archeology,
and I also remember that he was
just
a nice guy, eager to share his knowledge.
It's too bad
that he never got
to Alaska.As you wrote,
Herb had a profound influence on your life and career,
both
as a professional and as a friend. The best
way for you to repay
his
friendship is to take on another
young person, the way he took you
under
his wing, and pass on the love of archeology
and the careful
scientific
skills it requires.
The personal
relationship, aside
from the professional one, is a bit
harder
to pass on, but it is certainly
something that you will treasure
for
the rest of your life.
I, too, have
watched a good friend
lose her battle with cancer.
I'm
sure that there are many special
little things that will remind you
of
Herb Kraft for the rest of your
life. Thanks again for sharing your
very
moving article.
Sincerely,
Pat
Whitacre
Tinicum Township
Historical Commission
First the Delaware Valley lost
John Cotter now we lost Herb Kraft. I feel a great loss in my heart as
these
were two very special people and mentors. Herb was always there to
answer
questions and encourage me when ever I called. He always found time in
busy
schedule and was always kind. When I asked him for a letter of
recommendation
to graduate school he was there (I didn't have ask twice). Every time I
pick
up his Lenape book I will be thinking of him in his university office
surrounded
by books and artifacts. It was his presentations to the Lower Delaware
Valley
chapter of the ASNJ in the 1970s on the work he conducted in the
Delaware
Water Gap that got me hooked on archaeology and has led me down my
chosen
career path. I owe a great deal to Hebert C. Kraft. I can only hope
that
some day I can contribute as much to archaeology as he did over the
years.
William B.
Liebeknecht
Principal Investigator
Hunter Research
From: Killeen,
John J NAN02
Sent: Wednesday,
January 10,
2001 1:26 PM To: 'Luke1313@juno.com' Cc: 'hop@epx.net' Subject: Thanks
Herb!
> Charles, I would appreciate it if you would put this
anecdote/memorial
in the Herbert Kraft Memorial on the ASNJ website. Thanks. >
For the past 10
or so years,
I have been in a developing working relationship with Herb Kraft. For
example,
I reviewed his revised and mightily expanded Lenape tome and he helped
me
through the maze of the administration at Seton Hall when I was
teaching there. I am happy to say that I enjoyed many transactions with
Herb over the past decade. During the past few years, Herb showed me
what a truly good
friend he was for a person to have. He had become concerned with the
lack
of communication from a colleague that he had been close with over the
years.
He had helped this colleague develop a career. Herb left messages and
emails
to no avail. Every time I saw Herb he would ask me if I had heard
anything
from or about this missing person. It was absolutely beyond Herb's
comprehension
that anyone could behave this way. He was very disappointed. The truly
amazing
thing was that he was still concerned about this person even after
being
ignored for so long. It made me realize what a truly good friend he
was.
I know that Herb will be missed by many, including myself. >
John J. Killeen,
Project Archaeologist CENAN-PL-EA New York District U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers
26 Federal Plaza New York, New York 10278
John.J.Killeen@nan02.usace.army.mil
