Johannes "Joe" Vanden Acker

Johannes “Joe” Antonius Vanden Acker, 98, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 due to a sudden medical emergency.

Joe was born July 5, 1927 to Adrianus and Petronella (Jacobs) Vanden Acker in Uden, The Netherlands. Joe was the eldest of 10 children and learned, at a young age, the importance of helping others. He met his future wife Martina “Tina” Rovers in 1947. He entered the Dutch military and shortly after was stationed in Indonesia for 3 years. Joe and Tina were married on October 13, 1953. In 1958 they immigrated to America with their two children. He began working at Miller Electric until his retirement in 1992. Their third child was born in 1961. Most of his life, he lived in Combined Locks, but most recently in Kimberly. Tina and Joe were married for 67 years before her death in January 2021.

Throughout his years, Joe enjoyed camping, fishing, building, bowling, playing billiards, playing cards and visiting with his many Dutch friends. He and Tina made numerous trips back to the “old country” to visit family. His most recent trip was in May 2022 when he was 94 years old! Joe was very proud of his Dutch heritage and shared many aspects of this with others. Joe was a great problem-solver and never met a problem he couldn’t overcome.

Joe is survived by his three children and their spouses: Adrian (Toni), Francine (Owen) Sonnenberg and Petra (Will) Nolte; five grandchildren: Michelle (JC) Hernandez, Chelsea (deceased), Taylor Vanden Acker, Luke (Melissa) Nolte and Hannah (Matt) Arnoldussen; step grandson, Tyler (Jessica) Sonnenberg-Ward; great grandchildren: Gwendolyn, Graeme, Harper, Emerson and Delaney; brother, Ad (Mia); sisters: Cisca (Gerrit) Vanden Oever, Miep (Willem) Peters; in-laws: Annie Broers, Dorry (Joep) Linders, Jeanne Vermetten, Netty Vermetten, Riek Vanden Acker, Marietje Vanden Acker; nieces, nephews both here and in the Netherlands.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Tony (Anne), Cor (Riek), Bert, Jan; sisters: Annie (John) Vander Wijst, Mien (Jos) Theijssen; in-laws: Harry (Annie) Rovers, Antoinette (Albert) Van Beuningen, Joke (Ad) Kremers, Truus Vanden Acker, Frans Broers, Lambert Vermetten, and Piet Vermetten.

Funeral Mass for Joe will take place on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 410 Wallace St., Combined Locks, WI 54113. Visitation will begin at the church starting at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until the time of the Mass. For online condolences, please visit www.verkuilenfh.com.

Special thanks and gratitude to the nurses, doctors and staff at St. Elizabeth Hospital Emergency Department, especially Nurse Kinley, for their kindness during Joe’s brief stay there.