Mieke J. Heffern

Mieke J. Heffern, 59, of Franklin, passed away early in the afternoon on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh after an extended illness.Born February 5, 1962 in Suffolk, VA, she was the daughter of Hudson Ray and Dirkje "Ditte" A. (Beets) Holland. She was married to the love of her life, Brian K. Heffern; both her parents and husband survive her.For most of her professional career, Mieke worked as a Personal Care Assistant at The Caring Place, but those that knew her knew her true life's passions were in the volunteer work she did.Born with a charitable heart full of love for all living things, especially animals, Mieke was a proud volunteer in many groups across the area, such as the Franklin Council, Relay for Life, the Humane Society, County Animal Response Team (CART), Club Pet, the S.N.I.P. Clinic, DukeFest (where she was also a founding member), Hog Haven, Venango VNA, and the Polk VFD. Her giving hands and love for animals saved many lives and helped countless others.Gifted with deft hands and a beautiful, creative spirit, Mieke loved all things to do with crafts. She found joy in making jewelry for her shop, House of Crafts, and also enjoyed glass etching, sewing, cross-stitch, gardening, and making raffle baskets. Mieke also found peace in the simple things in life, like enjoying the company of her husband as they kayaked down the river or seeing the look of satisfaction on the face of someone enjoying her delicious cooking. With great love for her Lord, Mieke could also be found spending her Sundays at the Polk Presbyterian Church, where she was a member, Elder, and part of the choir.Her tender spirit and warm heart reached far and wide across the community and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.In addition to her parents and husband, Mieke will be forever remembered by her two sons, Patrick Born and his wife, Robin, of Virginia Beach, VA, and Jason Born of Germany; her grandson, Wyatt Born of Virginia Beach; her brother, Paul Holland and his wife, Nancy, of Atlanta, GA; her nephew, Nicholas Holland; and by her niece, Sarah Holland.In keeping with the family's wishes, there will be no visitation.A Memorial Service celebrating the life of Mieke will be held on Saturday, May 29, 2021 at the Polk Presbyterian Church, 729 Main Street, Polk, PA 16342, beginning at 2 pm, with Reverend Larry Myers, pastor of the church, officiating.Mieke will be laid to rest in Oak Hill Cemetery.Gardinier Funeral Home, Inc., 1315 Chestnut Street, Franklin, PA 16323, were entrusted with funeral arrangements.The church will have social distancing protocols in place and strongly recommends those who are attending to wear masks. We respectfully ask if you feel sick or have other health conditions to stay home.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Mieke to the American Cancer Society (Relay for Life Team Hope), 1004 North Juniata Street, Hollidaysburg, PA 16448.To send cards, online condolences, or for further information, family and friends are invited to visit www.gardinierfuneralhome.com.