| Notes |
- Appleton Post-Crescent Thursday, October 13, 2005
Van De Wettering, Vitus Vitus Van De Wettering, Greenleaf, age 76, died Wednesday, October 12, 2005, at home after a courageous battle with cancer. Vitus was born October 4, 1929 to the late George and Jacobina (Jacobs) Van De Wettering in Askeaton, WI. He married the former LaVerne Daul on May 2, 1950 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Chilton. Together, Vitus and LaVerne raised six children and four foster children which include: Herman, Paul and Ronnie Skenandore and Don Mignon. Vitus was a longtime member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Askeaton. He helped found the Greenleaf Rec. Dept. Little League and was active with the Sunday morning after Church softball league in Askeaton. Vitus was a lifelong dairy farmer and was recognized and awarded the lifetime membership award from the Brown County Holsteins Breeders Association. He worked as a building inspector and zoning administrator for the Town of Holland and was always active and interested in town issues. Vitus was named an honorary Irishman by his many peers in Askeaton. He enjoyed many activities over the years; he participated in the annual Hollandtown Schut for over 60 years, enjoyed card playing, fishing and a good laugh. Pranks helped Vitus enjoy life, one that most will never forget was the tipping over of Orville Finnegans outhouse and setting up those college kids in the great chicken heist caper on Halloween in 1969. As a youth he played in the Teenie Weenie Band. Most of all, Vitus was a vibrant loving father, grandfather and great grandfather who loved children, his family and community. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, LaVerne, six children: David (Marilyn) Van De Wettering and their two children: Sara and Mike, Diane (Dave) Callies and their three children: Nicole (Chris) Peters, Megan and her special friend, Mike Gerhman and Lindsay and her fiance, Tony Bateman, Donna (Pete) Jacobson and their son, Tyler, George Van De Wettering, Marcia Van De Wettering and Jackie (Dave) Dequaine and children: Nick and Kris and his fiance, Jessica Smet, five great-grandchildren: Veronica, Kyle, Logan, Brooklyn and Devon, two sisters: Tekla Hart and Casilda (Gene) Stumpf. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Phyllis, his parents, George and Jacobina Van De Wettering, mother and father-in-law: John and Verna Daul, two nephews: Mike Bastian and Donald Stumpf, a sister and brother-in-law: Rita and Ves Fink, brother-in-law, Kenneth Hart, foster children: Herman Skenandore, Ronald Skenandore, Donald Mignon and very good friends: John Surin and Stanley Lambie. The funeral service will be 10 a.m. on Saturday October 15, 2005 at ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH, Askeaton with Fr. Al Geiser officiating. Friends will be received on Friday at the Boettcher Family Funeral Home, 2401 Fieldcrest Drive, Kaukauna from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and again on Saturday at Church from 9 a.m. until the time of service. A prayer service is also scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday evening. Burial will take place in the parish cemetery. In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established. The Boettcher Family Funeral Home is assisting the family. 766-2099. The family would like to thank Yvette and the entire staff at Unity Hospice, the Tim and Carla Mueller family, Avita and Clayton Baumgart, Paul Skenandore and all the friends and neighbors who helped comfort Vitus and his family during this very difficult time.
- Dad's Eulogy
A few years ago at Christmas time, Dad saw the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, for the
first time. It is Frank Capra's classic tale of George Bailey's Christmas Eve visit with a
guardian angel. It's a story based on the sentiment that no man is born to be a failure.
No one is poor who has friends. Dad's life parallels George Bailey's in many ways.
George Bailey didn't go on to school, but stayed home to help his father in the family
business. Dad finished his freshman year of high school then helped his father work the
farm. He had a love ofleaming and wanted to see his children do well in school. If ever
one of us couldn't locate a science or history book to finish homework, it was because
Dad was reading it. George Bailey wanted to travel the world. Dad dreamed of traveling
to his mother's homeland, Germany.
Clarence Oddbody, the angel without his wings, talks to George Bailey after George
wishes to never have been born. Clarence says, "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life
touches so many other lives and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't
he." Dad touched the lives of his foster sons, Herman, Paul and Ronnie Skenadore, and
Don Mignon. Paul, age 14, arrived from the Green Bay Orphanage. He said each
evening at the Orphanage all the kids had to wash out their socks and he kept waiting for
everyone on the farm to wash theirs. No one did, so he finally went to bed. Paul had
been on the farm for a year when he asked if his brother, Herman, 16, could come to live
there, also. He'd even share his small allowance with Herman. Herman, too, came to
live on the Van De Wettering farm. Paul and Herman loved Dad and Mom's little girl,
Phyllis, and used to play catch with her every day.
George Bailey was always for the underdog. Dad was, too. When Paul needed a new
winter coat, Dad and Mom took him to town. Paul, who never had the opportunity to
choose what he wore, was being pushed by the salesman into buying a coat he didn't
particularly care for. Dad, sensing Paul's reluctance said, "You don't have to buy it if
you don't like it." Paul eventually found what Mom describes as "the prettiest coat" for
$28. Quite a hefty price tag at that time! Irritated at the high cost ofthe coat, the
orphanage director called Dad and complained. Dad replied, "Hey, he doesn't cause any
trouble, works hard, does well in school and quite frankly, he deserves it!" (PAUSE)
PAUL KEPT THAT COAT!!
At school in Wrightstown, Herman was selected as Badger Boy and after 2 years on the
farm graduated and entered the service. He eventually worked for IBM and had a great
career, married, had 3 children, Donald, Vitus, and Mary. Paul, also successful, owns the
Shenandoah Bookstore in Appleton. He came to play cribbage with Dad every other
Monday and continued his visits throughout his illness.
While staying on the farm, Paul and Herman were visited by their mother and younger
brother, Ronnie, weekly. Naturally, when Herman left, Ronnie came to Dad's farm and
stayed for a year before joining the service. Unfortunately, Ronnie contracted a disease
r
while in the service wIllch left him blind. He was taken early in-life by God.
Dad believed people make mistakes and deserve second chances. A social worker from
the Don Boscoe Home came to Dad and told him about a boy, who was a good kid. The
social worker felt the boy shouldn't have been sent there and deserved another chance.
Don Mignon, a young teen, was out with older kids, who stole a car, ran out of gas, then
took a second car. This second car had already been stolen by other thieves and had a
trunk full of money. Don fell asleep in the back seat of the car which was parked
outside a motel and he was awakened by police, pulling him out of the car. "Would
Vitus take in this boyT' the social worker wanted to know. And that's how Don Mignon
came to live on the farm. Don was ingenious, had a great sense ofhumor and was a lot
of fun. He hooked up his own phone in his bedroom from the telephone lines. He built
his own radio station. Cars, driving past on Highway 57, when tuned into Don's radio
station would hear us singing along to Don's records. Don was kidded about using
Greasy Kid Stuff on his duck-tail hair style, which took forever to comb. He worked on
the railroad for a short time then went into high rise construction. Don married and had a
son, Jon.
Throughout his life, Dad set examples for us all to follow. He knew his family loved
him. He was a loving son, brother, father, grandfather and friend. "Strange, isn't it?
Each man's life touches so many other lives and when he isn't around he leaves an awful
hole, doesn't he.
In the movie, every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.
RING BELL
"Dad, (PAUSE), you just got your wings!"
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1929 - 2005 (76 years)
