Joseph H. Sprangers, age 91 of Little Chute, WI (formerly of Menasha, WI.) went quietly home to heaven on Thursday, July 9, 2015. A giant of a man, Joe possessed a gentle spirit, an infectious smile, and complete dedication to his beloved Clara, who was at his side throughout his life and at the time of his death.

Joe was born April 29, 1924 to the late Mathias and Mary Rosella (Wallace) Sprangers, the third oldest of their 14 children. On November 11, 1944, at St. Therese Church, Joe took Clara Salm to be his lifelong "bride."  They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with dozens of family and friends in their home last fall.

Joe had a life-long affection for the beauty and bounty of the good earth. He was a pioneer in the local produce industry, a career that began in "the potato business" in the 1940's when he became the first supplier to break down the 100 pound bulk lots into smaller, more consumer-friendly packaging. When the emergence of supermarket chains eliminated a need for the small local wholesaler, Joe decided to pursue his dream of a produce farm and purchased 26 acres on the corner of South Oneida Street and Hwy 114 in Menasha to establish "Sprangers Spread". He and Clara worked in the fields and the produce stand for nearly 30 years, spending half the year in Wisconsin and the other half wintering in Florida. Along the way they provided summer jobs for dozens of youth.

Joe enjoyed traveling, sharing trays of his home-made candy, and telling tales of his and Clara's adventures. When they couldn't travel anymore, Joe learned to journey via the internet, sharing his discoveries with family and friends of all ages through emails and Facebook.  He was a faithful man and a member of St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.

Joe is survived by his wife Clara; his siblings: Margaret Foley, Agnes (Stanley) Socha, and Patrick (Judy) Sprangers; his sisters-in-law, Marie Heinritz and Betty Salm.    He is also survived by scores of nieces and nephews in both the Sprangers and Salm families.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents; Clara's parents Nicholas and Frances Salm; his sister: Dorothy Schmit; his brothers: Ray, Daniel, Matthias, Edward, Myron, Florian, Hilary, Gerald and Thomas Sprangers; and Clara's 6 brothers and 3 sisters.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE CATHOLIC CHURCH (323 Pine Street, Little Chute) with the Rev. Msgr. James Vanden Hogen officiating. Family and friends may call directly at church Thursday morning from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery, Appleton.

Clara would like to extend her thanks to numerous family members and neighbors for their help and support, especially Cathy and Dick Bauer, Jen VanDenEng, Junior and Virg Salm, and Fran Conrad.
The family would also like to thank all those who compassionately cared for Joe especially Hospice Services, VNA, Dr. Thomas Shelble and Dr. Fredric Hildebrand.

"We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between we garden."

"The man who has planted a garden feels that he has done something for the good of the world." - Charles Dudley Warner