Maria M. Naert, 96, of Elkhart, passed away on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at HolistiCare Homes in Elkhart. She was born on November 1, 1929, to the late Hermann H. and Erna Marie Sophie (Boldt) Varenhorst.

Maria is also preceded in death by her loving husband Albert P. Naert; grandson, Christian M. Hiar; and her brother and sister-in-law, Peter (Riekje) Varenhorst. She is survived by her children, Erna (Ed Hiar) Naert and Andrea (Scott Hill) Naert; granddaughter, Kai (Rain Moo) Hiar; nieces and nephews, H.P. (Gery Moester) Varenhorst and their daughter, Marthe (Nina De Boer) Varenhorst; Jan Hendrick (Martine Stegman) Varenhorst; Anne-Be (Willem Prisse) Ficq and their children, Ivo (Janna Koopman) Varenhorst, Tobias Varenhorst, and Mira (Moos Van Woesik) Varenhorst; Katrien (Rob Beelen) Varenhorst and their children, Boris (Milly De Wilde) Beelen and Noor (Dann Tangelder) Beelen; and extended family, Charles and Ruth Hiar, Jared and Michelle Prough family of Goshen, IN and Andrew and Jennifer Hiar family of Lisle, IL, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Kay Hill of Everett, WA.

Cremation was chosen and will take place at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St. in Elkhart, IN. A private family celebration of life will take place at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Elkhart County’s Toys For Tots, https://www.toysfortots.org/

Maria was born in Bogor, Indonesia and later immigrated to the United States in 1958 when she was 29 years old. Her experience during World War II shaped the independent woman she became, as in later years, she did a lot of translation work for Immigration and Naturalization Services and the FBI. Maria spoke over six languages: German, Dutch, Coastal Malay, Javanese, and English, and later learned some Spanish, Japanese, and Norwegian. She met the love of her life, Albert P. Naert, in Seattle, WA, whom she married May 15, 1960. After being repatriated to The Netherlands after the war was over, Maria obtained a secretarial certificate and later became a shipping agent, becoming the first woman on the West Coast and the second woman in the U.S. to hold this position.

Family and friends meant the world to Maria. One of her many passions in life was bringing people closer together in her community. She was a founding member of the Holland American Club in Seattle, WA where she was a member of the board, acting secretary and was the assistant editor of the newsletter. Maria and Albert later were founding members of The Church of the Good Shepherd in Lynnwood, WA. In her early years, she tended a beautiful flower garden and had a fondness for growing azaleas. Maria had a love for life and enjoyed sharing her stories with her family and friends during meals, whether it was in the United States or back in Europe. The family would like to thank the Pillado family, the staff of HolistiCare Homes and the staff and visiting nurses of Heart to Heart Hospice for their incredible care of her over the last several years.

She will be dearly missed by many, but her incredible legacy will forever live on.