Born April 4, 1930
Bonn, Germany
Died Nov. 14, 2023
Vernon, Vermont
Vera von Krusenstiern, 93, passed away peacefully with family by her side on November 14, 2023, in Vernon, Vermont.
Vera was born in Bonn, Germany on April 4, 1930, the daughter of Ernst Dohany, a newspaper publisher, and Elisabeth (von Bruchhausen) Dohany. She spent her early years in the small village of Buchheim outside the Black Forest city of Freiburg im Breisgau.
After attending the University of Freiburg, Vera began working as a newspaper reporter. On June 15, 1956 in Frankfurt, Germany she married fellow reporter Alfred von Krusenstiern, a Baltic German whose parents had fled from the Bolshevik Revolution. Together they moved frequently during the early years of their marriage as Alfred took journalist assignments in Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Washington, D.C. and New York.
In 1965 the couple and their three young sons took the transatlantic ocean liner S.S. Bremen from Bremerhaven to New York. Leaving post-war Europe behind, Vera and her husband adopted America as their new home, and thereafter only returned to Europe for visits.
After three years in Arlington, Virginia, Vera and the family moved to Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Then, following twenty-five years in New York, they retired to Whidbey Island, Washington. One year after celebrating their 50th anniversary, Alfred died in 2007. Vera later moved to Brattleboro, Vermont, where her youngest son and his family reside.
As was typical during the 1960’s and 1970’s, Vera left her own career behind and assumed the role of mother and homemaker. She embraced that role as her duty but did so with fierce independence and unbreakable strength. While shy by nature, Vera enjoyed both social banter and intellectual discussion. A voracious reader, she retreated to her books in the evenings after preparing extraordinary meals for her family and frequent guests.
As a mother, and as a friend, Vera was unsentimental and no-nonsense. Yet her steadfast nature was giving and generous. She expressed love and friendship not with demonstrative words but with quiet deeds. She was also known for her sardonic humor that was always singularly funny.
Vera and Alfred’s time in Hastings-on-Hudson gave rise to a legacy that still resonates. Together they created an impromptu salon-like atmosphere in their home. Guests, young and old, European and American, floated in and out, some stayed for tea, others stayed for a meal and still others stayed overnight for a day, a week, and extraordinarily, some even stayed for months. An unusual blend of American informality and old European hospitality gave rise to a “Gemütlichkeit” that left a lasting impression on all who visited them.
Vera is survived by her three sons, Friedrich (Lenore) of Brookline, Massachusetts, Johann Adam (Elizabeth) of Bellingham, Washington, and Konstantin of Brattleboro, Vermont. Her legacy extends through eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and through nieces and nephews in Germany, Italy and France. She was preceded in death by her husband of over 50 years, Alfred von Krusenstiern.
In celebrating Vera’s life, memorial contributions in Vera’s name may be made to the non-profit, Latchis Theater, 50 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301 or online at www.latchisarts.org . Vera admired and supported this historic art deco theater where she went to see live performances, films, and Metropolitan Opera simulcasts.
