Jeannine Marijke Niehoff

Jeannine Marijke Niehoff, of Wantage, left this world for eternal glory to be with her heavenly Father on September 10, 2016. Jeannine devoted her life to the service of her Lord and others, and her faith granted her and her loved ones a peace that surpasses all understanding as she left this world.
Jeannine was born Jeannine Marijke Thys to John and Margriet Thys, on October 16, 1963 in Takoma Park, Maryland. Her father passed away in 1971 and her mother remarried John Carrico in 1974 and gained four siblings in addition to a brother and sister she already had. Jeannine and her big new family, moved to Smoke Rise in Kinnelon, NJ. Jeannine attended Our Lady of Magnificat School for grade school and graduated from DePaul High School in 1981.
Jeannine attended King's College in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in special education in 1985. She then went on to teach at Chancellor Academy and later became a contract seamstress going into business with her mother at Magriet Design’s. She devoted countless hours, for so many years, costuming the theater productions of Sussex Christian School, Veritas Christian Academy, High Point Regional High School, Faith Center for the Arts Theater Program, and the Warwick Reformed Church Theater Program and the Sparta E-Free Church, where she was a member.
Jeannine met the love of her life, Christopher Niehoff, in Hoboken NJ, in the spring of 1989. Chris and Jeannine devoted their lives to Christ in 1990 after the testimony of the life and death of Chris’ sister Nancy in June 1990. They were married on October 4, 1991, and raised four children together, dedicating their lives to raising their children as servants of God and others. Jeannine was above all else a servant to all: her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, her husband and children, her family and all others she encountered. She loved her husband and children more than her own life, and served and protected them with a disciplined spirit and creative mind. Her hope was that her service to others would draw them to Jesus, and so many have experienced Jesus’ love because of Jeannine. Acts 20:24 reads: “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Jeannine valued others over herself; service was her ministry, a selfless life was her course, and she finished it with a glorious devotion to her Lord. Her family rejoices that her life will serve as an everlasting testimony to the gospel of the grace of God.
Jeannine is preceded by her father, John Thys, and stepfather, John Carrico. Jeannine is survived by her husband Christopher Niehoff; children, Saskia Niehoff, Kyle Niehoff, Adam Niehoff and Marieke Niehoff; mother, Margriet Carrico; siblings, Sander Thys and his wife, Janice, Saskia Kane and her husband, David, John Carrico Jr. and his wife, Laura Lee, Kathy Gaiser and her husband, Steve, Grace Wolfe and Christy Connors.
A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at the Sparta Evangelical Free Church on September 24 at 4 p.m. in Sparta (on route 15). Please visit www.jeanninesjourney.org for more information.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High Street, Newton, NJ. Online condolences may be offered at smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com.