Karin C Crafts

Karin Christa Crafts (née Probst), 80, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on December 7, 2024.

Karin was born on February 19, 1944, during the height of World War II in the village of Podemus, near Dresden, Germany, to Christa Luise Probst (née Mätschke) and August Hellmut Probst. Karin spent her early years in Dresden in East Germany on her family farm before fleeing with her family to West Berlin at the age of 16. Her family resettled in Heidelberg, West Germany, where she continued her studies in botany and floral design. It was while out dancing there that she met her future husband, Edward, who was stationed as a private in the United States Army. They married in 1964 and moved to the United States.

Karin began her professional life as a florist in Germany and later worked in New Jersey and Baltimore before settling down in Lancaster. In 1975 she and Edward opened Modern Classics, where she served as the financial manager until her retirement, running her own natural foods and supplement store onsite for several years. 

Karin led a rich and full life, of which her children and grandchildren were the center. She enjoyed nature, gardening, hiking, baking, travel, going to church at Zion Lutheran Church in East Petersburg, and managing her apartment rentals. In retirement, she spent her summers on Campobello Island in New Brunswick and visited Little Gasparilla Island on the Florida Gulf Coast in winter, also making journeys to Germany to see family. She picked up photography late in life, and documented all of these beloved experiences with her digital camera.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Edward James Crafts; her children, Kevin Tyler Crafts, Rya Nadine Crafts, and Sonja Christa Crafts; and her grandchildren, Amelia, Edel, Kestrel, and August. A kind, generous, and loving mother, grandmother, and friend, Karin had a wonderful sense of humor, a deep sense of justice, and a positive outlook on life. She is loved and missed by everyone.

Karin’s memorial gathering will be held on February 17th (President’s Day) from 2-4 PM in her home at 1030 Sherry Lane, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. All friends and family are welcome to attend, and may bring a favorite dessert to share.