Joseph F. "Joe" Lenz, Little Chute, July 28, 1927 - May 11, 2013.

On Saturday, May 11, instead of attending 4:30 Mass at St. John's, Joe was called to meet his Savior in person. He died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 85.
Joe was born in Little Chute where he grew up and graduated from St John High School. His love for art began in high school where he worked on the school yearbooks. Following in his brothers' footsteps, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Navy near the end of WWII and remained active in the Jacob Coppus American Legion Post 258. He was proud to have participated in a WWII Honor Flight last summer. Joe married his high school sweetheart, Mary Verhagen, and raised five children. Although the marriage ended, Mary and her family were always an important part of his life. She preceded him in death on August 15, 2004. Joe's working career was as an electrician at the Kimberly-Clark and Wisconsin Tissue mills. In his final years, he moved back to Little Chute and enjoyed walks down by the river where he played as a child. Watching the mill come down and the windmill go up, visiting with old friends and enjoying time with his family were favorite pastimes.

Joe was a loving, gentle and humble soul. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were blessed to have him in their lives. His relatives were all just part of the family. Neighbors and coworkers became lifelong friends. A true renaissance man, Joe was forever inventing, researching, fixing, painting, drawing, planting, building and just tinkering. He loved his family, his friends, the outdoors, fishing, camping, researching everything, genealogy, a game of horseshoes, bowling, boating, playing cards, a good polka and, of course, the Packers.

Joe will be greatly missed by his children: Carol Lenz, Appleton; Mary Filen, Casa Grande, AZ; Laurie (Jon) Ford, Summerfield, NC; Steven (Jean) Lenz, Shiocton; and Tim (Stacy) Lenz, Appleton; grandchildren: Tyler, Mikel, Eric (Jen), Beckie (Blayne), Brian, Robin (Aaron), Jennifer, Shanti, Alexa and Kaylee; great grandchildren: Drew, Hayden, Annabelle, Elijah, Taylor, Lilah, Silas, Cambria, Erika, Jamyson and Mia; and brother and sister: Norm (Helen) Lenz and Clara Baumann; sisters and brother-in-law: Gladys Lenz, Lorraine Wilson and Marty (Judy) Verhagen. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph F. and Harriet (Van Der Steen) Lenz; father and mother-in-law: Martin and Ann Verhagen; son-in-law: Jack Filen; brothers: Jim (Mary and Helen) and Don Lenz; and brother-in-law: Henry Baumann; other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held Monday May 20, 2013 at ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE CATHOLIC CHURCH (323 S. Pine St. Little Chute) beginning at 2:00 p.m. until time of Mass at 5:00 p.m. The Rev Msgr. James Vanden Hogen will officiate. Military rites conducted by the Jacob Coppus American Legion Post 258 will immediately follow. Committal St. John Cemetery. A memorial is being established.

"We mourn our loss but rejoice in your salvation."