Fr. Norbert Michael Verhagen, M.M. was born February 24, 1914 in Freedom Township, Wisconsin, son of Henry and Wilhelmina (Weyers) Verhagen. He attended Sunny Corners Schools for five years and then St. Nicholas Grade School. He entered the Salvatorian Seminary in Nazianz, Wisconsin, and pursued philosophy and theology courses at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. He was ordained on May 31, 1939 by Bishop Paul P. Rhode in the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier, Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the Diocese of Green Bay.

Fr. Verhagen served two years as Associate Pastor at St. Boniface Parish in West De Pere, and one year at Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Green Bay. With permission of his Bishop, he entered Maryknoll on June 24, 1942. He spent Novitiate time at Maryknoll Junior Seminary (Venard), Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, where he taught English, Physical Education and Religion.

Fr. Verhagen then spent his entire missionary apostolate of 50 years in Mexico. He was assigned with the first group of Maryknollers in Maryknoll's new rugged mission, Tepic, Mexico, where he did pioneer mission service for five years among the Cora and Huichole Indians. In 1949 he was transferred to Yucatan, Mexico and served as pastor of Carillo Puerto and Bacalar parishes. While on furlough in 1951-52, he took special studies in agriculture at the Southwest Louisiana Institute. On his return to Yucatan he was appointed re-founding pastor of the isolated Ancient Mayan mission of Tihosuco, Quintana Roo, where he had to learn the Indian dialect of the Mayas. It was a jungle town, and besides his pastoral work, Padre Norberto taught the Mayas how to plant and grow cabbage, beets and carrots and improve their flocks of chickens. Next, he was assigned to San Francisco Xavier parish at Tzucacab, where he did much to restore and reroof a beautiful old church. His last parish in Yucatan was the extensive mission at Yaaxcaba. From there he went to Mexico City, where he founded new parish centers in the suburban areas of Mexico City and Cuernavaca.

On January 15, 1995, Fr. Verhagen went into retirement at Maryknoll Residence in Los Altos, California. He was able to make short annual visits of several weeks to his former areas in Mexico, and more prolonged visits to native haunts (here) in Wisconsin, near Green Bay, up and down (our) Fox River Valley.
At the end of November, 2005, with increased leg disabilities, Fr. Verhagen was transferred to St. Teresa Retirement residence at Maryknoll, New York, where he passed away on Tuesday May 15, 2012. While there, although confined to a walker and eventually a wheelchair, Fr. Verhagen was able to get around to the daily routine of Community Mass, Rosary together in Chapel, meals and a bit of retirement activities. He also spent much of his time reading.

Fr. Verhagen is survived by two brothers: Rich (Monnie), Kaukauna; and Ves (Min), Kimberly; and one sister: Millie (Ervin) DeBruin, Kimberly. He is further survived by many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Fr. Verhagen was preceded in death by brothers: Ben (Marge), Ed (Rose), Larry (Gladys), Lloyd (Doris), Ray and Fr. Donald Verhagen S.D.S.; infant brother Francis; sisters: Agatha (Ray) Nussbaum, Martha (Ignatius) Schuh and Ceil (Norb) Meulemans.

Visitation will be held Friday May 25, 2012 at ST. NICHOLAS PARISH (W2037 County Road S Freedom) beginning at 10:00 a.m. until time of Mass at 12:00 noon. The Rev. David Hoffman will officiate. Committal St. Nicholas Cemetery.