Johanna Marie Van Zeeland

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 sisters as they did dishes and sewing beautiful and sophisticated dresses and suits. She always did well in school and upon graduation from Little Chute High School she went to work for two years as an executive secretary for Appleton Coated Papers.

On August 21, 1954 she married her high school sweetheart Cyril “Cease” Van Zeeland. They bought a home on Darboy Rd. in Combined Locks, just a block up the hill from where she grew up and remained there until near the end of their lives.

Johanna was gifted at making ends meet and during the early years of Cyril’s ventures in various small businesses she excelled at feeding her family of six, and her father-in-law, while on a very restricted budget. The house often smelled of homemade bread, as she baked 8 loaves and 2 dozen buns every week for much of her life. As a skillful and imaginative seamstress, she once made “worker men” pants for all 4 of her children out of the unworn out sections of Cyril’s old gas station uniforms.

Johanna was a quiet person, keeping house, tending the garden, and riding alongside of Cyril on their many long drives in the car. For the last years of her life she lost most of her ability to remember. Still, she continued to live with a gentle grace and appreciation for the simple things around her.

Survivors include her four children, Lee (Kathy), Lu, Mark (Lynn), Joe (Dawn). Grandchildren, Tom, Nick, Rachel Van Mun, Holly Pautz, Heather Arata, Luke, Mathew, Conner, Meredith and Sam Whitney and 12 great grandchildren. She is further survived by her sister Betty Linzmeier.

She is now in heaven and happily reunited with the love of her life, our father. Our family would like to gratefully thank the staff at Heartwood Senior Living and the staff at Heartland Hospice. They deeply cared for her and allowed her to leave this world in dignity. A small private family gathering will take place at a later date to celebrate the life of our dear and loving mother.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.