All Obituaries

 Donna (Liebergen) Hameister, 79, passed away August 6, 2022 surrounded by her family. Donna was born on October 6, 1942 and grew up in Freedom, WI. She graduated from Freedom High School in 1960 and then married the love of her life, Jim Hameister, in 1963. They then moved to Appleton and shared 59 years together there.  Donna worked several different jobs throughout her life, with the last one being her favorite.  She was able to take advantage of her green thumb and...

Jim W. Balgie, age 70, passed away after a short battle against cancer. He was born on October 13, 1951, son of the late Paul and Rhea (Hammen) Balgie. He married Denise Hinkens on June 4, 1976, and they recently celebrated 46 years of marriage. Jim worked at the Combined Locks Paper Mill for 37 years before his retirement. Jim enjoyed fishing, hunting, golfing and playing baseball in his younger years. More recently he made beautiful birdhouses that he gave to his loved ones. Jim is...

Jeffrey “Smed” Jaeckels of Kaukauna passed away on Sunday, July 31, 2022.  Jeff was born on August 27, 1957 to James and Joan Jaeckels.  He worked for Miller Masonry and Gannett until his retirement.  He was an avid Cubs and Packer fan and attended many games.  He enjoyed bowling and while on league’s he  bowled several 300 games. Jeff is survived by his siblings; Sue (Jon) Klein, Ken Jaeckels, and Lisa (fiancé Brian Johnson) Krol, niece and...

Kaukauna – Paul Bernard Biese, age 82, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully surrounded by family members on July 27, 2022. He was born on August 4, 1939, son of the late Ben and Elizabeth (Daul) Biese. On May 14, 1960, he married Carol Gerhartz at St. Mary Catholic Church, Kaukauna. Paul attended Holy Cross Grade School and graduated from Kaukauna High School in 1957. He was a lifelong member of Holy Cross Catholic Church. Paul worked as a butcher for Larry’s Piggly Wiggly in...

Johanna Marie Van Zeeland (Vander Heyden) age 90, of Combined Locks, died peacefully on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Johanna was born in Combined Locks May 8, 1932 to Cornelius and Petronella Vander Heyden. She grew up with her three sisters (Margaret, Betty and Alice) and one brother (Hank) in a small house on Lom Street in Combined Locks. Through her sisters and photos, we know she spent time in her younger years cuddling barn kittens, helping in the family vegetable garden, singing with her...

Mattie Marie Ebben, 92, was welcomed into heaven on Friday, July 22, 2022 surrounded by her family. Mattie was born on February 16, 1930 to Matthew and Marie (Thyssen) Van Groll. On October 28, 1952 she was united in marriage to Marvin Ebben. They shared almost 70 years of commitment and devotion. Family was the most important thing to Mattie. Nothing brought her more joy than seeing her family gather and create memories. She would always look at Marv with pride and say “look what we...

Walter “Buck” Saffran passed away on July 19, 2022.   He was born on August 25, 1943, to Eunice (Bunn) and Leo Saffran in Oconto, Wisconsin.  Leo died when Buck was three.  In 1953 Eunice married Ernest “Hank” Saffran who served as Buck’s father figure.   He graduated from Oconto Falls High School in 1961 and from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1972 with a degree in Accounting.  In 1987 he earned his CPA...

Ronnie (Buck) Fairchild, age 85, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 17, 2022, at Country Villa in Little Chute. He was born on September 26, 1936 to the late Emma and Flavous Fairchild. He graduated from Appleton West High School in 1954. Buck went on to meet the love of his life, his best friend, Mary Lou; and made her his forever fishing partner on September 15, 1959. He was drafted in 1959 to the United States Army. He served in Korea for 12 months and was recalled to serve during...

Joyce Ann Smudde, age 71, was welcomed into heaven on July 13, 2022 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. She was born on May 18, 1951, daughter of the late Bill and Bernice (Ambrosius) Van Wychen. Joyce married Dick Smudde on June 7, 1974, and together have shared over 48 years of marriage. Joyce made a difference in so many children’s lives by teaching for over 40 years, most of them at St. Nicholas Catholic School in Freedom. She was a very active member of St. Nicholas...

John Thomas Hopfensperger, Neenah, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2022 at the age of 65. He was born to James and Delores (Ouellette) Hopfensperger on October 4, 1956 in Kaukauna. John was a skilled carpenter and worked at Eggers Industries in Neenah for over 35 years. He was an avid sports fan, cheering on his beloved Packers, Badgers and Brewers at every chance. John loved racing and had a special appreciation for the drag races held at his hometown track, Wisconsin International...